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2007 Honorable Mention All-NCAC
Middle Hitter Jessica Kimble |
They first must overcome the loss of five seniors who comprised the most successful senior class to pass through the program. However, with the adrenaline still pumping from three straight Final Four appearances, the Tigers head into 2008 season with their usual great expectations.
Leading the charge in 2008 is a quartet of outstanding seniors, starting with right-side hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) and libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula). Williams, the 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Player of the Year and a second-team All-American a year ago, has led the team in attack percentage in each of her three seasons in the Red & White. She holds the Wittenberg record for highest attack percentage in a season and a career, while she has picked up first-team all-conference awards three straight times. Fender's name can be found in the Wittenberg record books numerous times as well, starting with her No. 2 position on the career digs list. Each of her three season dig totals rank in the top 10 in school history and she has two of the top five game totals as well.
Also returning to the starting lineup are senior middle hitter Jessica Kimble (Dennison, Ohio/Claymont) and junior setter Erin Slattery (Chagrin Valley, Ohio/Kenston). Kimble, coming off a breakout season in 2007, is an outstanding offensive player who fits the fast-paced, dynamic Tiger offense well with her quickness and jumping ability. With two years of experience under her belt, Slattery returns to quarterback the offense while continuing her climb up the Wittenberg career assists list. She currently sits in seventh place.
Plenty of talented players have waited their turn and will have new opportunities to contribute in 2008, including junior middle hitter Kate Snead (Westerville, Ohio/South), who is expected to follow in Kimble's footsteps with a breakout junior season. Senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Kathleen Graham (Bowling Green, Ohio/Toledo St. Ursula), junior outside hitter Katherine Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson), junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Laura Schumaker (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), junior setter Kendall Obreza (Gainesville, Fla./Oak Hall), junior outside hitter Leslie Clark (Marion, Ohio/Harding) and sophomore right-side hitter/setter Amy Cox (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) are among the top contenders among returning players for on-court action in 2008.
In addition, seven highly touted freshmen have been added to the Tigers' well-stocked roster (2008 Wittenberg Tiger Volleyball Freshman Class Bios).
The No. 3 national ranking in the final 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association poll marks the fourth consecutive year that the Tigers have finished in the top five nationally, and Wittenberg has now won five Great Lakes Region titles in the last six years. Also of note is Head Coach Paco Labrador's .876 win percentage, which ranks No. 1 among all active coaches at any level of NCAA volleyball. He has amassed a sparkling 170-24 record in his first five seasons at the helm of the Tigers.
The 2008 season begins with a home match against scholarship program Cedarville and is followed the next two weekends by a tri-match at regional rival Mount St. Joseph and the annual Border Battle Tournament in Pam Evans Smith Arena. That weekend, eight of the top teams in the region, including four NCAA Division III squads from Michigan, three from Ohio and NAIA powerhouse Walsh, will do battle. The schedule also includes a trip to nationally ranked Division III rival Emory University, where the Tigers' stamina will be tested by the Eagles and the rest of a very strong tournament field.
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