Posted by: Ryan Maurer

---

Teresa Murphy

Tiffany Keller

The Wittenberg volleyball team put a mid-week set-back behind them to claim victotry in a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference matches held in the HPER Center on Saturday.

The first conference match of the season was a convincing victory over visiting Allegheny, 3-0. The kills were spread around among the players, with senior middle hitter Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) and junior outside hitter Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) each scoring 10 kills and Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) adding 11. On defense, Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) shone with 19 digs to ensure that Allegheny did't pull off an upset.

After Kenyon and Allegheny played five grueling games before the Ladies pulled out the win, the last match of the day was again all Wittenberg in a 3-0 defeat of Kenyon. Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) was the star of the offensive attack with 12 kills, while Nelson added another 10. Sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) was ever-present, contributing 38 assists.

Yuskewich leads the NCAC in assists with more than 13.3 per game, more than three better than the next setter. McDonald tops all comers in the kills department, leading the Tigers and the conference with more than 4.7 per game.

The Tigers, who were ranked eighth in the nation last week, have a mid-week NCAC match against Earlham before hosting the first of three invitational tournaments over the weekend. Joining the Tigers in the annual Wittenberg Invitational on Friday and Saturday will be Calvin, Mt. Union, Hope, Ohio Northern, Case Western Reserve, Franklin and Carnegie Mellon. Wittenberg is hosting two more high-quality invitationals on Oct. 11-12 and Nov. 1-2.

Next: 9/25 vs. Earlham, 7 p.m.

---

Jen Meyer

Emily Duh

It may have been a tight game, but the scoreboard still says the Tigers won and maintained their perfect 2002 record with a 1-0 win at Oberlin on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown) recorded her fifth shutout in seven games in 2002. As a team, the Tigers have yielded just three goals in seven games all season and just one tally in five games NCAA Division III opposition.

The first period was a story of domination by the Tigers, with 10 shots on goal compared to Oberlin's two. The goal came with 12:30 left in the first period. Emily Duh (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley), who was last week's NCAC Player of the Week, provided the assist for Sarah Wallace (Reston, Va./South Lakes) to put away. Duh was instrumental in increasing the pressure, contributing seven shots in the match.

In the second half, Oberlin forced the action to the Tigers, outshooting the visitors 9-4. Meyer and the Tigers' outstanding defensive unit held strong, however, and the Tigers came away with the victory.

Ranked 14th nationally in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, the Tigers next square off against Kenyon on Tuesday and then travel to Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday.

Next: 9/24 vs. Kenyon, 5:30 p.m.

---

The fourth-ranked Tigers are coming off a rare in-season bye, and now one final non-conference game awaits on Sept. 28 at Thomas More. Last year, Wittenberg traveled to Kentucky and defeated the Saints 41-0 in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament.

NCAC action opens on October 5 against Denison on Parents Weekend in Springfield, and then the Homecoming opponent is Wabash College on Oct. 12.

Next: 9/28 at Thomas More, 1:30 p.m.

---

Andy Stewart

Brian Armstrong

A few breaks here and there and perhaps the Tiger men's soccer team would have a different outlook on things right now. As it is, after four overtime losses in the first eight games of the season, Wittenberg will have to find some way to rally to meet the lofty goals they have set for themselves.

Last week, the Tigers recorded their first shutout of the 2002 season against Muskingum by a 3-0 count on Wednesday. Wittenberg took the lead with five minutes to play in the first period. A free kick played in by freshman Andrew Stewart (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) led to a header from 12 yards out by freshman Matthew Berry (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe).

The home team didn't look back from that point and maintained pressure to add two more goals in the space of three minutes in the second half. Sophomore Cliff Cannon (Gahanna, Ohio/Wellington School) provided both assists, senior Brian Armstrong (Delaware, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) claimed his third of the season and Stewart turned from provider to scorer to secure the points for Wittenberg.

Once again, however, the Tigers were unable to capitalize on a win's momentum, falling in yet another overtime game. Armstrong netted another goal, but the Tigers fell in a game at the aborted Wilmington Kiwanis Invitational on Saturday to Washington & Jefferson. That game was originally scheduled for Friday but was pushed back by rain and lightning. Saturday's game against Wheaton was cancelled.

W&J took the lead on an unassisted goal after a rebound in the first half and held the lead until mid-way through the second period when Armstrong put away his fourth of the season, unassisted off another rebound.

The Tigers head back to Wilmington for another game on Wednesday, hoping to build some momentum before they start the NCAC campaign.

Next: 9/25 @ Wilmington, 7:30 p.m.

---

Jenny Miller

After winning their last two games the Tigers thought they had put their frustrating habit of losing close games behind them. But on Sunday, the Tigers couldn't overcome visiting Elmhurst, falling by a 1-0 score for the fourth time already this season.

With minutes left to play in the first half Wittenberg fell behind on a ball that was crossed in and then finished at the back post in what would be the only goal of the match. Tiger goalkeeper Jenny Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother Of Mercy) kept the Tigers in the match, making 10 saves despite being shaken up briefly on a collision with an Elmhurst player.

The nonconference defeat to Elmhurst came on the heels of encouraging shutout victories of 4-0 over Muskingum on Tuesday and 2-0 over NCAC rival Hiram on Saturday. In both games, junior Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) came up big on the offensive end, scoring one goal against Muskingum and adding a goal and an assist against Hiram. At week's end, she had contributed directly to seven of the team's 11 goals this season.

In recognition of her efforts, Woessner was named NCAC Player of the Week, an honor she has earned numerous times in women's soccer, basketball and track in her three years at Wittenberg.

Also scoring against Muskingum were freshman Emily Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial), junior Kaitlin Hiscar (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) and freshman Melissa Gallion (West Jefferson, Ohio/West Jefferson). Against Hiram, the other score was provided by freshman Julie Hoeksema (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian).

The Tigers return to action against Cedarville on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in a game that will televised on tape delay by Time Warner Cable in the Dayton area at 8 p.m. on Oct. 2 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 5.

Next: 9/25 vs. Cedarville, 4 p.m.

---

The Tigers were off last weekend and continue to train this week before making their annual trek to the huge Loyola Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 5.

Next: 10/5 at Loyola (Ill.) Lakefront Invitational