Wittenberg Women's Volleyball Wins NCAA Division III Tourney Opener Over Otterbein

PITTSBURGH, PA - On the strength of some fantastic defensive play at the net combined with clutch offensive play, Wittenberg Women's Volleyball captured a 3-1 victory over Otterbein in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament in a match played at Skibo Gymnasium on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University.

Selected to compete in the tournament for the 29^th time in program history, the Tigers overcame some early jitters to hold off the Cardinals by set scores of 25-23, 25-22, 22-25, and 25-16. The win was Wittenberg's 12^th in a row. 

Wittenberg, the No. 5 seed in the eight-team regional bracket hosted by Carnegie Mellon, defeated Otterbein, the No. 4 seed and champion the Ohio Athletic Conference title, for a second time in the 2025 season. Otterbein, which was ranked as high as No. 20 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll during the season, lost to the Tigers at Pam Evans Smith Arena, 3-2, on Oct. 18.

Wittenberg, which improved to 21-7 on the season, will continue its quest for the program's second NCAA Division III championship at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, against fifth-ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the regional semifinals.

"Otterbein challenged us from the first serve, and that's exactly what you expect in the NCAA Tournament," said head coach Evelyn Miller, who recently collected her third NCAC Coach of the Year award. "Our team dug in, battled for every point, and showed the toughness that defines Wittenberg volleyball. Winning this first-round match in four sets is a huge step forward, and we're excited for the opportunity ahead."

Things were nip and tuck throughout the first three sets of the match, with the momentum swinging to Otterbein in set three after Wittenberg rallied late in each of the first two sets. However, the Tigers quickly regrouped with great net play from Clare O'Malley (Avon, OH / St. Joseph's Academy), Madelyn Luers (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East), and Kait Colahan (Vermilion, OH / Vermilion), taking the lead at 13-11 and building on it from there to eventually win the set by nine points. 

O'Malley led the team in kills and blocks with 12 and six, respectively. Kaili Worcester (Powell, OH / Olentangy Liberty) put down 11 kills and scored 12 points, while Colahan tallied 10 kills and 11 points and Luers had eight kills to go along with three blocks. Mary Sulfridge (South Charleston, OH / Southeastern), the NCAC Setter of the Year and a first-team All-Region selection, led the team in assists with 42. She also had 10 digs and three blocks. Ally White (Harrison, OH / Harrison), Ava Golem (Kirtland, OH / Kirtland), and Piper Ricketts (Morrow, OH / Little Miami) led the defense as each player registered double digits in digs, led by White with 18.

Wittenberg advanced to the 2025 NCAA Division III Tournament by virtue of an automatic berth, earned by winning the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament title in convincing fashion. The Tigers won all nine NCAC matches between the regular season and tournament, culminating in a 3-0 sweep of second-seeded John Carroll on Saturday, Nov. 15. The NCAC Tournament title was Wittenberg's league record 28th since 1992.

The Tigers have reached the tournament quarterfinals eight times, the national semifinals six times, and the championship game in 2011, 2015, and 2017. Wittenberg won the NCAA Division III Championship in 2011, and the Tigers now have a 50-27 overall record in the national tournament.

Team Comparison

• Totals for the Tigers included 52 kills on 140 total attacks, 47 assists, six service aces, 68 digs, and 10 blocks. They also had a hitting percentage of .221.
• The Cardinals had 52 kills on 155 total attacks, 44 assists, 12 service aces, 65 digs, and 12 blocks. They turned in a hitting percentage of .174.

Written By: Cindy Holbrook