Volleyball

The Wittenberg University Tigers have put together a string of winning seasons under Head Coach Connie Surowicz. Now, with a tradition of excellence and regular season success firmly established, the Tigers are chomping at the bit to prove they can play with the best teams on a national stage.

That is evidenced by the Tigers’ schedule, which includes matches against such perennial national powers Juniata, Mt. St. Joseph, Ohio Northern, Wisconsin-Whitewater and Thomas More. Other quality competition Wittenberg has scheduled includes Mt. Union, Elmhurst, Case Western Reserve and last year’s NCAC runner-up Denison, which returns much of its team from 2000.

Wittenberg returns nine letterwinners in 2001, although none are seniors. No matter — led by a quartet of juniors who were All-North Coast Athletic Conference selections a year ago, the Tigers have plenty of experience and were the unanimous choice by conference coaches to win a fourth consecutive title. No player on the roster has lost a match to an NCAC opponent as the Tigers have claimed the last three regular season championships with perfect 8-0 records and have followed up by running the table in the last three NCAC tournaments.

Leading the charge will be the last two NCAC Players of the Year — junior setter Shelli Habegger (Curtice, Ohio/Oregon Clay) and junior outside hitter Brittany Baume (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern). Habegger, the 2000 Player of the Year, led the nation in assists per game in 2000 with 2,081 in 143 games — which also was a Wittenberg record. For her career, Habegger already has a school record 3,550 assists.

Baume, the 1999 Player of the Year as a freshman, led the team and ranked among the nation’s leaders with 602 kills in 134 games, good for a 4.5 kill per game average, despite an injury that required surgery after the season. She has been selected All-Great Lakes Region each of the last two years.

Women’s Soccer

The Wittenberg University Tigers are young but could be ready to pounce in 2001. A year after posting the program’s first 10-win season since 1995 and earning a berth in the inaugural North Coast Athletic Conference tournament, Wittenberg returns 12 letterwinners and welcomes a strong recruiting class into the fold.

For a second straight year, the Tigers’ strength appears to be offense. Leading the charge are two of the best goal-scorers in the conference in 2000, sophomores Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) and Jill Rekers (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro). Woessner finished 29th in the country in goals per game while collecting plenty of honors during her first college season. She scored a school-record 18 goals and 43 total points last year en route to earning first-team All-NCAC honors and NCAC Newcomer of the Year honors. Rekers, who missed three games with a sprained ankle, was second on the team with 10 goals and 26 total points as she claimed honorable mention All-NCAC. They will be joined by several talented newcomers, most notably freshman Katie Mazzio (Wilmington, Del./A.I. duPont).

In the midfield, senior co-captains Emily Gersbach (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) and Rachel Helsinger (Monroe, Ohio/Lemon-Monroe) lead a very capable group. And defensively, the Tigers have some experience returning but also a tall task in replacing three departing starters, including four-time all-conference choice Shana Ryan, the team’s MVP in 2000. Among the players filling those shoes in 2001 will be sophomores Melissa Jordan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Finneytown), Erin Lane (Lucas, Ohio/Mansfield St. Peter’s), Lesley Runyan (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland), Jessica Shellhause (London, Ohio/London) and Kate Williston (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), who was a forward a year ago. Also, starting goalkeeper Jenny Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) is back.

Field Hockey

A year after returning to their customary position atop the North Coast Athletic Conference field hockey standings, the Wittenberg University Tigers are hoping for a bit more in 2001. This, in spite of the loss of All-American forward Kelly McMullen and six other letterwinners. Second-year Head Coach Marianne Beshara believes an improvement upon last year’s 15-4 overall record and 10-2 NCAC mark is possible because the team’s defense returns almost intact, several solid offensive players are back and a strong 10-player recruiting class figures to make an impact. A winning tradition never hurts either — Wittenberg hasn’t had a losing season 1981.

Leading the charge in 2001 will be a defensive corps of junior backs Rebecca Russ (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart) and Heather House (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) and senior goaltender - and co-captain - Georgina Klinzing (Gasport, NY/Royalton Hartland). All three were All-Great Lakes Region selections a year ago, and they are bolstered by a pair of experienced midfielders, senior co-captain Jessica Martin (Powell, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) and junior Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley). Adding to the defensive strength of the team are junior Jill Hobelman (St. Louis, Mo./Villa Duchesne), who played in 12 games in 2000 after transferring from Division I Rhode Island, and talented freshmen Blair Ufer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Amy Burlingame (Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth).

Offensively, Wittenberg must replace two of its top three scorers from 2000. Joining returning all-region choices Emily Duh (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) and Barb Keselman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) will be talented newcomers Deb Muller (Weston, Conn./The Millbrook School) and Cieran Kisling (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills).

Men’s Soccer

For a program that hasn’t experienced a losing season since 1986 and hasn’t won less than seven games in a season since 1980, the latest edition of the Wittenberg University Men’s Soccer Tigers have a lot to prove.

Competing in one of the most challenging conferences in the nation, the Tigers are hoping to make their first serious run at the North Coast Athletic Conference championship in several years. They may have the ammunition to do just that — providing Lady Luck doesn’t take as many swipes at them as she did last year.

Injuries to several key players led Wittenberg’s offense to struggle mightily, and defense almost single-handedly carried the Tigers to another 10-win season. To improve on that in 2001, increased goal production will be required from senior All-NCAC midfielder Steve Cassiere (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin), junior midfielder Matt Lapish (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich./South), junior midfielder Brian Armstrong (Delaware, Ohio/Dublin Coffman), senior forward Chad Atwood (Nashport, Ohio/Tri-Valley) and sophomore forward Taggart Suddes (Ostrander, Ohio/Dublin Coffman), all of whom are returning starters.

Defensively, the Tigers appear strong, although a preseason injury to third-team All-Great Lakes Region back Josh Curtis (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) could be crucial. Starting goalkeeper Danny Carman (Louisville, Ky./Male), an honorable mention All-NCAC choice in 2000, returns, as does honorable mention All-NCAC back/midfielder, sophomore Steve Doring (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne).

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

The Wittenberg University men’s and women’s cross country teams both boast strength in numbers in 2001, something third-year Head Coach Steve Shutt hopes will translate into better finishes and more runners advancing late in the season.

The women’s team has 22 runners on the roster, including eight returners from the 2000 squad. Leading the charge will be junior Abi Gerstle (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), who became the first female runner to qualify for the NCAA Division III championships in school history a year ago. She finished 122nd at the meet after placing third in the North Coast Athletic Conference and eighth at the regional meet.

Joining her near the front of the pack will be senior Sarah Weide (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead), a second-team All-NCAC finisher in 2000. Also returning for one more go-around is three-year letterwinner and senior Melanie Ziarko (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood).

On the men’s side, a roster numbering 17 is led by junior Nick Dewald (Mansfield, Ohio/Senior). A second-team All-NCAC finisher last year, Dewald will lead a relatively experienced team into action in 2001, including seniors David Hyde (Naperville, Ill./Central) and Scott Huntoon (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor).