The Wittenberg volleyball express continued to steam along in 2002, winning the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles for a sixth straight time each and advancing to a seventh consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament. The Tigers finished with a 34-8 overall record and advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time in school history before falling to eventual national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater on Nov. 23.

Wittenberg, which finished the season at No. 3 in the country and No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region, competed against one of the most challenging schedules in the nation. Of the Tigers’ eight losses, six came to nationally ranked NCAA Division III teams.

Wittenberg placed second in three tournaments and captured an in-season tourney crown in the Wittenberg National Quad by defeating three nationally ranked teams.

The Tigers closed the 2001 season riding a 43-match regular season NCAC win streak, a figure that balloons to 61 straight when victories in the NCAC tournament are considered. Wittenberg has claimed six straight NCAC regular season crowns, including five in a row outright without suffering a defeat.

The Tigers also won conference titles in 1992, ’93 and ’95, making the run a phenomenal nine championships in the last 11 years. Sophomore Sarah Yuskewich earned NCAC Player of the Year, and Head Coach Connie Surowicz was named NCAC and Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. Sophomore Monica McDonald, the conference leader in kills, and senior Tiffany Keller earned second- and third-team All America status, respectively.

Surowicz ended her ninth year guiding the Tigers with a record of 253-94 at Wittenberg and a career mark of 283-128, including two seasons at Walsh University.