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2002 Volleyball Press Releases
November 26, 2002
Wisconsin-Whitewater opened the first game with five consecutive points and never trailed in a 30-18 victory. Wittenberg was led by sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) and senior outside hitter Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic), who each finished with three kills. Senior middle hitter Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) and sophomore libero Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) each added four digs. In the second game, the action went back and forth before Wittenberg prevailed 31-29. The Tigers were led by McDonald, Keller and junior outside hitter Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) with five kills each. Murphy had 12 digs and sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) added 17 assists. The Warhawks opened Game 3 with a 5-2 run and never trailed en route to a 30-20 victory. And the fourth game was tied 9-9 before Whitewater took control with a 19-6 run en route to a 30-19 victory. UW-Whitewater improved to 34-4 overall on the season and picked up its second win over Wittenberg in four weeks. The Warhawks, ranked sixth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Poll, advanced to the national semifinals. The Tigers, ranked No. 3 in the final AVCA poll, were led by Keller’s 17 kills and 15 from McDonald. Yuskewich had 43 assists and set new school, conference and NCAA records for assists in a season and assists per game during a season. Both marks had previously been established by Wittenberg’s Shelli Habegger in the 2000 season. Earlier last week, Yuskewich had learned that she had been named the NCAC Player of the Year. She is the fifth straight Wittenberg player to earn that honor. Keller and McDonald joined her on the first-team, Murphy was named second-team All-NCAC and Surowicz was the Coach of the Year for a third time in her nine years at Wittenberg. Next: Season Complete November 19, 2002
The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals for the first time in school history, and the Tigers now face Wisconsin-Whitewater, champion of the Midwest Regional. The Tigers had previously advanced to the regional championship match on three occasions (1995, 1997 and 2000). Wittenberg picked up the big points at the big moments in the win over Mount St. Joseph, especially when sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) was on serve. In the decisive third game, in particular, McDonald's jump serve wreaked havoc as the Tigers went on three different three-point runs at key moments. The Tigers, the No. 1 seed and third-ranked team in the nation in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, got 21 kills from McDonald. They also picked up 52 assists from sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson), as well as four digs, three block assists and a crucial solo block during the last of the aforementioned three-point runs in the third game. In addition, senior outside hitter Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) had 11 kills and a game-high 25 digs. The Tigers also came on strong at the right times on Friday to capture a semifinal round victory over No. 4 seed Ohio Northern, 3-0 (30-25, 30-26, 30-24). Wittenberg, which avenged a loss to Ohio Northern in this round of last year's NCAA Division III tournament, got an outstanding performance from Yuskewich, who distributed 50 assists and 20 digs to the Tigers' cause. Her primary offensive target was McDonald, who pounded 16 kills to lead both teams. Joining McDonald in double digits offensively were Murphy with 13 kills, junior Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) with 11 and senior middle hitter Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) with 10. Three players reached double figures in digs, including sophomore Emilie Schmid's (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) 20 and Murphy's 14. This Just In: Sarah Yuskewich was named NCAC Player of the Year and Connie Surowicz garnered Coach of the Year honors for a third time in balloting conducted by the coaches. Yuskewich was an honorable mention selection a year ago, and she was joined on the first team in 2002 by Tiffany Keller and Monica McDonald. Teresa Murphy, who was on the first team the last three years, was squeezed off in 2002 and received second team honors. Next: 11/23 vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater NCAA Division III Quarterfinals November 12, 2002
That tournament opens on Thursday with matches at eight regional sites around the nation. One of those is Wittenberg, which will play host to the Great Lakes Regional competition. The Tigers are the No. 1 seed, followed by Mount St. Joseph, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Catholic and Kalamazoo. In the NCAC tournament last week, the Tigers opened by defeating No. 8 seed Earlham 3-0 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. They began the weekend with a semifinal victory over No. 4 seed Hiram as sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) showed the way with 10 kills and three aces. Sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) did the job again, contributing 39 assists to her conference-leading total. Sophomore Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) added 12 digs. The championship match was a close encounter in the first game with Wittenberg edging Denison 30-25. The second was also close until Wittenberg, with a slim 9-7 lead, found another gear and went on a 10-0 rampage midway through the game. The third and final game of the championship was more typical as the Tigers dominated the game and the opponents coming back with a late rally. For the match, McDonald dominated with 17 kills, while junior Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) checked in with 13 kills, senior Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) finished with 16 digs and Yuskewich distributed 46 assists. Individually, Wittenberg had a successful weekend with three players named to the NCAC All-Tournament team. McDonald was named MVP, and she was joined by Yuskewich and senior middle hitter Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) on the team. Wittenberg, ranked No. 3 in the nation and riding a six-match winning streak, plays the winner of Thursday’s first-round match between Catholic and Ohio Northern in a regional semifinal on Friday. The winner of that match advances to the regional championship, a position the Tigers have never advanced beyond previously. Next: 11/15 vs. TBD NCAA Division III Tournament Great Lakes Regional at Wittenberg University November 5, 2002
What made the wins more remarkable was the fact that Wittenberg entered the tourney as the lowest ranked team of the four, checking in at No. 11 in the previous poll. Wittenberg moved all the way up to No. 3 in the latest AVCA poll, released on Wednesday, and No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region. The Tigers’ first test was Mount St. Joseph, a team that has been the nemesis of Wittenberg for several years. After numerous defeats against the Mountie Lions over the last two years, Wittenberg scored a stunning 3-0 win, 30-17, 30-23, 31-29. Sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) and junior outside hitter Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) were the offensive standouts for the team with 17 and 16 kills respectively. Sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) was her usual reliable self with 52 assists and four aces. Sophomore outside hitter Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) stepped up on defense with 11 digs. Washington University, the No. 1 team in the nation and the Division III runner-up in 2001 was the next opponent, and once again the Tigers pulled off a stunner. The first game was tight as Wittenberg narrowly won 37-35, but that was as close as it got. The Tigers captured the next two games 30-19 and 30-24 to have post a surprisingly comfortable 3-0 victory over the previously unbeaten Bears. The usual suspects were all there again as McDonald finished with 13 kills, Yuskewich 50 assists, three aces and 12 digs and Schmid with 14 digs. The last match was much tighter as Wittenberg completed the landmark weekend sweep with a 3-2 defeat of third-ranked Juniata, a national semifinalist a year ago and one of the traditional powers on the national scene. The home team took the lead each time but Juniata kept pulling back to level until Wittenberg took the final game and complete the tournament. Yuskewich had her second-highest assist total of the season with 72 and McDonald pounded 29 kills. To recognize her phenomenal performance during the weekend, Yuskewich was named National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Next: 11/8-9 NCAC Tourn. First Round October 29, 2002 -
When the hitting finally concluded, the Tigers finished a very respectable 2-2 in the competition, defeating two teams ranked in the top 11 nationally on Friday and then losing in five games to the No. 4 and No. 6 squads in the country on Saturday. Wittenberg defeated Wartburg, the No. 11 team, 3-1 in the opener and then put the hammer down on the No. 5 team, Wisconsin-River Falls, by a 3-0 final. On Saturday, the Tigers met their match(es), however, losing 3-2 to No. 6 Wisconsin-Whitewater and 3-2 to No. 4 Trinity. Against the host team, Wittenberg rallied from down two games, only to lose 15-10 in the final game. Against Trinity, the Tigers held a 2-1 lead before seeing their lead evaporate and a 15-12 Game 5 decision go against them. The kills were spread around over the weekend, with sophomore Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic), the top hitter in the NCAC with more than 4.5 kills per game, showing the way with 74 putaways. Senior Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) finished with 58, senior Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) tallied 54 and junior Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) chipped in with 44. Running the show once again was sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson), who put up 15.3 assists per game. Among her phenomenal total of 260 assists in the tournament were 85 in the loss to Trinity, the second-highest total in school history. In recognition of her continued outstanding play, the North Coast Athletic Conference named Yuskewich its Player of the Week. It was the first time she had been so honored. Next up for the Tigers is the first-ever Wittenberg National Quad on Friday and Saturday. Scheduled to appear are No. 1 ranked and undefeated Washington University and nationally ranked Mount St. Joseph and Juniata. All three visitors to the HPER Center this weekend were in the NCAA Division III tournament quarterfinals a year ago. Matches start at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Next: 11/1-2 Wittenberg National Quad October 22, 2002 -
Volleyball (24-5, 8-0 NCAC) Coach: Connie Surowicz (ninth season) With two more North Coast Athletic Conference victories on Saturday in a tri-match at Hiram, the Wittenberg University volleyball program has once again staked a claim to the regular season championship. This year’s 8-0 NCAC mark is the fifth straight perfect conference record for the Tigers, extending a conference winning streak to 41 straight matches, dating back to Oct. 25, 1997 and a 3-2 loss at Case Western Reserve University. The Tigers overwhelmed two more NCAC foes on Saturday, defeating Hiram 3-0 (30-14, 30-16, 30-16) and Denison 3-0 (30-21, 30-28, 30-19), the two closest pursuers in the race for the conference crown in 2002. Wittenberg has not lost even a single game in an NCAC match this year. Statistically, the leaders were the usual suspects. Sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) distributed 103 assists in the two matches and showed few if any ill effects from the previous week’s ankle injury. Sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) pounded 24 kills in the two matches and was responsible for 28.5 points won. She also had four service aces. In addition, sophomore Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) contributed 24 digs and senior Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) added 28 digs and 25 kills in her usual fine all-around effort. McDonald continues to lead the team and NCAC in kills with 450 for the season and average of 4.55 kills per game. Yuskewich ranks first in the conference and among the top five in the nation in assists per game with 14.59. With 1401 assists already on her stat sheet and at least 10 matches still to play, she remains on pace to reach the school and national record for assists in a season set by Shelli Habegger in 2000. Next up for the Tigers is an important trip to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the NCAA runner-up in 2001 and one of the top teams in the nation again this year. The Tigers are one of several nationally ranked teams schedule to compete in the two-day tournament, which will serve as a warm-up to an intense weekend of volleyball action in Springfield on Nov. 1 and 2 when No. 1 ranked and undefeated Washington University and nationally ranked Mount St. Joseph and Juniata come calling at the HPER Center. Next: 10/25-26 @ UW-Whitewater October 15, 2002
Schmid, who last year was primarily used as a defensive specialist and only became a starter late in the season, has been one of the team’s top performers in 2002 as an outside hitter. She leads the team in digs and has been a solid offensive player as well, ranking among the best on the team in kills. In last weekend’s tourney, Schmid took over the role of setter after NCAC assists leader Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) went down with an ankle injury in a Friday night loss to nationally ranked Baldwin-Wallace. The week began with a 3-0 NCAC victory over Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday and a 3-1 win over Thomas More on Friday in the first match of the round-robin formatted Wittenberg National Invitational. Then on the final point of a first-game win over B-W, Yuskewich was injured. She played the rest of the match, but the Tigers fell 3-1. On Saturday, Yuskewich stayed on the bench to rest her sore ankle and Schmid stepped in. She had 65 assists in a morning victory over nationally ranked Nazareth and played well again in an afternoon win over Rochester Institute of Technology. Of course, Schmid needed a strong supporting cast to do what she did. Sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) led the team in kills over the weekend and remains the top attacker in the NCAC with 4.75 kills per game. Yuskewich ranked first in the conference and among the top five in the nation in assists per game with 14.53. Before her injury, she was on pace to break the school and NCAA record for assists in a season set two years ago by Wittenberg’s Shelli Habegger. Next: 10/19 @ Hiram, 3 p.m. 10/19 vs. Denison (@ Hiram), 5 p.m. October 8, 2002
Currently riding a nine-match winning streak and coming off a first-place finish against a loaded field in the Wittenberg Invitational, the Tigers, ranked No. 13 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III poll, posted a pair of shutout victories over Oberlin and Wooster. Not only has Wittenberg not yielded a match in conference action since 1997, they haven’t given up a single game in one of those matches in at least three years. Oberlin was the first victim, as the visiting Tigers allowed just 48 points in the entire match, winning 30-19, 30-11, 30-18. It was more of the same against Wooster, as the Tigers allowed the same number of points in claiming a 30-22, 30-14, 30-12 victory. With just three NCAC matches left in the regular season, the Tigers’ star players continue to shine. On attack, sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) leads with 340 kills in her 73 games, as well as 51 service aces. A 2001 All-NCAC and All-Great Lakes Region selection, McDonald leads the conference in kills per game and ranks among the top 20 nationally in the category as well. Senior middle hitter Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), the NCAC Player of the Year in 2001 and last week’s Player of the Week, is second with 221 kills, closely followed by Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) with 211. Sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) has been nothing short of outstanding setting up the kill experts. She has contributed 1,094 out of the Tigers’ 1,113 assists, easily the best in the NCAC and among the top five in the nation. Sophomore Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) has done a great job on the defensive end for the team, leading with 296 digs, while senior Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic), tops on the team in the category the last three years, checks in with 283 digs. The Tigers’ next match is an NCAC game at Ohio Wesleyan before four outstanding teams invade the HPER Center for this weekend’s Wittenberg National Invitational. Joining the Tigers in this Homecoming weekend competition are Nazareth, Baldwin-Wallace, Thomas More and Rochester Institute of Technology. Next: 10/9 @ Ohio Wesleyan, 7p.m. October 1, 2002
The Tigers’ first victory of the weekend came at the expense of Mount Union, 3-1, despite losing the only game of the weekend. Senior middle hitter Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) and sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) played brilliantly, claiming 38 kills between them. They were helped greatly, as always, by sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson), who contributed 64 assists. Case Western was the next victim as the Tigers yielded just 43 points through the entire match, won by Wittenberg 3-0. Praise must be heaped on sophomore outside hitter Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson), who contributed 16 kills on offense and 17 digs on defense. On Saturday, it was more of the same as the only two unbeaten teams in the tournament, Wittenberg and Calvin, squared off. Once again, the home team came away with the 3-0 victory through the efforts of McDonald and Keller, who had 12 kills apiece, and Yuskewich, who distributed 41 assists. The final match of the tournament featured another Tiger sweep, this time against nationally ranked Ohio Northern in the championship. Sixty-one assists from Yuskewich and 15 kills from McDonald helped the team to the final win. Keller made the all-tournament team in recognition of her outstanding play. The accolades continued to roll in on Monday as she was named NCAC Player of the Week. For the weekend, Keller finished with 62 kills (3.8 per game average), six stuff blocks, eight assists and .523 kill percentage. Wittenberg returns to conference action this weekend at Oberlin in an NCAC tri-match with Wooster. The Tigers have not lost an NCAC match since October 1997. Next: 10/5 @ Oberlin, 1 p.m. 10/5 vs. Wooster (@ Oberlin), 3 p.m. September 24, 2002
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. September 17, 2002
The Tiger volleyball team posted a second-place finish in the Washington University National Invitational last week, but this wasn't any ordinary runner-up finish. The competition featured five nationally ranked teams and was hosted by perennial national power and preseason No. 4 ranked Washington University, and Wittenberg lost just one of four matches in taking the second-place trophy. After finishing runner-up in tournaments at Mount St. Joseph and West Florida each of the last two weeks, the Tigers nearly posted their biggest win in the program’s history in the opener, losing 3-2 to the host team after taking a 2-0 lead. Leading the charge for the Tigers were the usual dynamic sophomore duo of setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) with 55 assists and Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) with 27 kills. The Tigers regrouped after the setback to win three straight matches in dominating fashion. Against Ohio Northern, the 2001 Ohio Athletic Conference champion and the team that ended Wittenberg’s season a year ago in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Tournament, the Tigers captured a convincing 3-1 victory. In addition to Yuskewich’s usual excellence, the trio of McDonald, Teresa Murphy (Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) and Lindsay Nelson (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) combined to put away 56 kills. The Tigers just kept getting better from there, winning the next two matches, 3-0. Central, which has combined with Washington University to win 10 of the last 12 national titles, was the next victim. Rounding things out, a third straight nationally ranked foe, Puget Sound, was vanquished by a 3-0 count. Yuskewich was again prominent on the statistics sheet, and she was ably assisted by Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson), who contributed 13 digs. Yuskewich, who leads the NCAC in assists at 13.77 per game, was named to the Washington University National Invitational All-Tournament, the third straight week she has been so honored. McDonald, who tops the conference in kills at 4.79 per game, also earned all-tournament team recognition. North Coast Athletic Conference action gets underway this weekend as Allegheny and Kenyon come calling in a triangular, following a non-conference match-up opposite perennial national power DePauw. Wittenberg has not lost a conference match since 1997. Next: 9/19 @ DePauw, 6:30 p.m. September 10, 2002
Not to be outdone the Tiger volleyball team has also gotten off to its usual flying start this season. Through two tournaments, they have a 6-2 record under some of the most outstanding competition any NCAA Division III team has faced nationally. The Tigers, of course, are aiming for their sixth consecutive NCAC championship after finishing 8-0 last season. The first tournament of the season was hosted by Great Lakes Region nemesis Mount St. Joseph, and the Tigers came so close to pulling out a championship there, going 3-1 en route to a second-place finish for a second straight year. The first match was a convincing 3-1 victory over Baldwin-Wallace. Star players in the match were sophomore outside hitter Monica McDonald (Newark, Ohio/Catholic), who had her best match of the tournament statistically with 20 kills. Also impressive was the play of sophomore setter Sarah Yuskewich (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson), who picked up where she left off a year ago in contributing 54 assists. Senior outside hitter Teresa Murphy(Blacklick, Ohio/Newark Catholic) added 33 digs. The host Mountie Lions were the only stumbling block for the weekend. In a closely contested match, the home team emerged with a 3-2 victory that featured five tight games. Yuskewich had her best match statistically with 56 assists and the usual supporting cast played well, as McDonald and Murphy topped the team in kills and Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) added 25 digs. The Tigers bounced back from the loss to rout Savanah College of Art and Design. The usual suspects were again prominent as McDonald finished with 14 kills, Yuskewich with 44 assists and Schmid with 19 digs. The fourth and final match was another credible victory against Emory, usually a top contender nationally, by game scores of 30-23, 30-27 and 30-28. The results left Wittenberg with a mark of 3-1 and Sarah Yuskewich was named to the all-tournament team. The second tournament provided a similar story line. Wittenberg again went 3-1, but this time they did it against unfamiliar NCAA Division II opponents. Their first match against Southern Arkansas resulted in a 3-2 win Yuskewich continued to improve on the previous weekend, contributing 69 assists. McDonald added a remarkable 26 kills and Murphy chipped in with 26 digs. Their winning streak continued as the Tigers exhibited some stingy defense and conceded no games in a shutout victory of the University of Texas A&M-Kingsville. McDonald led the way with 14 kills. The host team, the University of West Florida was again another narrow victory, as the Tigers claimed a 3-2 decision. The 15-9 final game score secured the win for Tigers and assured that they went on to the tournament final. Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), the 2001 NCAC Player of the Year, was outstanding as usual in the middle with 10 kills to go along with McDonald's 25 kills and Yuskewich's 65 assists. The final proved to be the only stumbling block for Wittenberg as they lost to West Florida in a rematch, 3-1. Next: 9/13-14 at Washington U. Tourn. Volleyball Index Page |
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