Tigers Rally For Dramatic Five-Set Win At Trinity (Texas)

Trailing by two sets on opening day of Trinity's National Invitational, Wittenberg battles back to beat 21st-ranked team in five.

Kiah Murray (7) led the Tigers with 23 digs and Courtney Huck (1) led in assists with 22 as Wittenberg topped Trinity 3-2. File Photo | Erin Pence
Kiah Murray (7) led the Tigers with 23 digs and Courtney Huck (1) led in assists with 22 as Wittenberg topped Trinity 3-2. File Photo | Erin Pence
October 31, 2014
Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Wittenberg Tigers dug themselves out of a 2-0 deficit on the home floor of perennial powerhouse Trinity (Texas), pulling out an unlikely 3-2 victory in a match-up of nationally ranked teams on the opening day of Trinity's National Invitational.

The win moved the fourth-ranked Wittenberg Tigers to 22-3 on the season, heading into a busy Saturday that will include matches against Hardin-Simmons and Randolph-Macon. Trinity, ranked 21st in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, dropped to 21-9 on the season.

The win was Wittenberg's sixth in the last seven meetings between the two teams, and it evened the overall series at 7-7.

Wittenberg was dominated in the opening set to the tune of a 25-11 score, followed by a 25-19 victory in the second set for the Trinity Tigers. But that's where the tables turned, as Wittenberg jumped on top quickly in the third frame and pulled away for a 25-16 decision. The visiting Tigers' offense finally started to click in the third and fourth sets, leading to wins by scores of 25-15 and 15-6.

Wittenberg's attack percentage overall in the match was a paltry .090, but it was .270 and .261 in the final two sets.

Junior Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) led the visiting Tigers on offense with 10 kills, followed by sophomore Kendall Farmer (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) with eight kills and no errors on 20 attack attempts for a .400 attack percentage. Sophomore Courtney Huck (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa) dished out a team-high 22 assists to go along with three service aces, while senior Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Perry) added 18 assists and three aces.

Defensively, senior Kiah Murray (Yorktown, Ohio/Yorktown) and junior Kristina Fultz (Batavia, Ohio/Glen Este) each piled up 23 digs to lead Wittenberg. Sophomore Emily Kahlig (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater) finished with seven blocks as Wittenberg finished the match with a whopping 19 team blocks.

Written By: Ryan Maurer