Wittenberg Volleyball Moves Back To No. 1 In Nation

Caitlin Augustus (9) and Jan Kehres (4) have helped the Tigers to the third No. 1 ranking in school history.

Springfield, Ohio — For the second time this season and the third time in school history, the Wittenberg Tigers stand atop the CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division III poll.

The Tigers, ranked second in the nation in five of the first six polls, are off to a school- and North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)-record 26-0 start to the 2007 season with two weeks remaining in the regular season. Wittenberg, a national semifinalist each of the last two years, is the only undefeated team in NCAA Division III after comfortable victories last week over NCAC foes Ohio Wesleyan, Oberlin and Wooster.

Led by outside hitters Emily Bell, class of 2008 from Fort Wayne, Ind., Jan Kehres, class of 2008 from Alliance, Ohio, and Jackie Williams, class of 2009 from Rocky River, Ohio, the Tigers have won a school- and NCAC-record 44 straight games, including 14 straight 3-0 victories. The NCAA Division III record is 49 in a row, set by Washington University (Mo.) in 1995, while the all-division record is 105 by Florida in 2003.

Bell is a two-time honorable mention All-America honoree and has ranked among the team leaders in kills and digs for four straight years. Kehres is a three-year team captain, and she leads the team in kills this year. Both have already surpassed 1,000 kills and digs in their illustrious careers. Williams was an honorable mention All-American a year ago and she ranks in the top 10 nationally in 2007 with a .423 attack percentage.

Already assured of an NCAC-record 18th consecutive winning season - the seventh-longest streak in NCAA Division III history and the sixth-longest current streak - the Tigers hit the road this weekend for a Friday match at Allegheny and then a tri-match at Hiram against the host Terriers and Heidelberg. Wittenberg stands 10-0 in the NCAC and can clinch a second straight NCAC regular season title - and 11th in the last 12 years - with wins over Allegheny and Hiram.

The Tigers moved to the top spot in the poll after defending national champion Juniata lost its first match against NCAA Division III competition last week. Wittenberg had previously earned the No. 1 nod in the Sept. 11 poll after the Eagles, who have knocked the Tigers out of the national tournament each of the last two years, lost to NCAA Division II California (Pa.).

The Tigers' only other No. 1 ranking came on Oct. 20, 2004. Interestingly, Wittenberg is one of just eight schools in the 15-year history of the poll to be ranked in the top spot.

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