Wittenberg Women's Volleyball Returns Strong Nucleus in 2025
Led by head coach Eveyln Miller, Wittenberg’s women’s volleyball team is looking for good things to come their way in 2025.
In 2024, the Tigers finished 17-10 overall and were the No. 4 seed in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament after securing a three-way tie for second place in the NCAC regular season standings with Ohio Wesleyan and DePauw with a 5-2 record. The Tigers fell to Denison, the conference champion, in a semifinal match. It was only the second time since 1992 that Wittenberg has fallen short of the NCAC Tournament title match.
Miller, who joined the coaching staff in 2016 as an assistant, spent two seasons in that position before moving into the interim leadership position in 2018 after the departure of Paco Labrador, the program's leader in coaching victories who accepted the same position at the Naval Academy. In her interim season at the helm, Miller guided the Tigers to an overall record of 25-3 and the program's 13th straight NCAC regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark. After winning the NCAC Tournament for the 12th year in a row, the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 24th time in program history before suffering a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat against top-ranked Calvin in the regional championship match on Calvin’s home floor. Miller has posted a 123-55 record since taking over the program.
Wittenberg has advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament five times with Miller as head coach (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) and twice as an assistant coach (2016, 2017). She was named NCAC Coach of the Year in 2018.
Taking a look at this year’s schedule, the Tigers open on the road at the Transy Invitational at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. Wittenberg will take on Berry at 11 a.m. and Olivet at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, before playing host Transylvania the following day, Saturday, Aug. 30, at 12:30 p.m.
The Tigers will have seven matches in the books before their first home match on Friday, Sept. 12, when they take on Juniata at 7 p.m. in the opening day of the Wittenberg Fall Classic. Wittenberg’s first conference match will be at 1 p.m. on Sept. 27 at Denison. The Tigers have 25 matches scheduled for the season, with the last regular-season contest on the road at Ohio Northern on Nov. 8.
On the court, the Tigers return plenty of experienced players, with five seniors and five juniors on the roster, along with six sophomores. In 27 matches last season, the Tigers averaged 12.18 kills, 11.12 assists, 18.97 digs, and 1.34 blocks per set.
Senior team leaders include defensive specialist Ally White (Harrison, OH / Harrison), outside hitter Piper Ricketts (Morrow, OH / Little Miami), and outside hitter Alana Bartulovic (Cleveland, OH / Notre Dame Cathedral Latin). They are joined in the lineup by sophomore setter Mary Sulfridge (South Charleston, OH / Southeastern) and sophomore middle hitter Clare O'Malley (Avon, OH / St. Joseph's Academy), who both contributed heavily to the Tiger offense last year as freshmen.
White led the team in digs with 507 last season, which topped the NCAC and earned her first-team All-NCAC honors. Sulfridge led in assists with 745, Bartulovic led the team in kills with 242, followed by O’Malley with 231, and Ricketts with 190. O’Malley, who led the team in points with 270.5, was named NCAC Newcomer of the Year.
Written By: Cindy Holbrook
Graphic By: Ally White '26