All Releases Written by: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu
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Emily Dixon
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Wittenberg capped its season with a 34-5 overall record after making the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament semifinals. On two previous occasions, the Tigers had advanced to the national quarterfinals only to lose, but in 2005 they rallied from an 11-7 deficit in the fifth game to defeat New York University 3-2.
The Tigers then had their 18-match win streak snapped in most unlikely fashion against Juniata, which lost 3-2 in the championship match the next night to Wisconsin-Whitewater. Wittenberg led 14-10 in the fifth game, but Juniata responded with six straight kills to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament for the ninth straight year and Great Lakes Regional titlists for the third time in the last four years, Wittenberg finished the season ranked third in the nation, matching the Tigers' preseason ranking. The national semifinals berth was the first for a Wittenberg team since 1994 when the men's basketball team advanced that far and it was the best finish ever for a women's program representing the university.
While several players shined brightly at the national tournament - including sophomore outside hitters Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) and Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance), the team leaders in kills and digs - senior middle hitter Emily Dixon (Granville, Ohio/Granville) stepped up her game most of all. She contributed a career-high 14 blocks in the quarterfinal win over NYU and then another 10 blocks in the semifinal loss to Juniata.
For her efforts, Dixon was recognized with NCAA Division III All-Tournament team honors. She is the first Wittenberg player to ever receive such an accolade, and she was the only player on the 2005 all-tournament team from a team other than Wisconsin-Whitewater or Juniata.
Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page and season statistics page.
Next: Season CompleteSPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Another banner fall sports season has reaped rich rewards for 34 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks, and a number of those individuals have also claimed regional and national awards. Read More...
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Laura Fender
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Wittenberg is now on a 17-match win after winning the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship on Nov. 5 and the regional title on Nov. 12. The Tigers improved to 33-4 overall on the season with wins on their home court against eighth-seeded Fontbonne University on Thursday, fifth-seeded Ohio Northern University on Friday and third-seeded Calvin College on Saturday.
The Tigers will take on New York University in a national quarterfinal match hosted by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in Salem, Va. Wittenberg plays at 1 p.m., the first of four matches that day, with the winners advancing to the national semifinals on Friday at the same site. The national championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, in Salem, Va.
Wittenberg has never advanced beyond the quarterfinal round. The Tigers reached it previously in 2002 and 2004 before losing to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and La Verne University respectively.
If things turn out differently in 2005, a pair of precocious freshmen may well be credited with the breakthrough. Libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) leads the Tigers in digs, and she has filled in for graduated two-time NCAC Libero of the Year Emilie Schmid quite well. Outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) has become a key offensive weapon for the Tigers since stepping into the lineup midway through the season, and she now leads the team in kills and is on pace to break the school record for attack percentage. Williams was one of four Tiger players honored by the NCAC last week as she became the first Wittenberg player in four years to claim Newcomer of the Year honors.
Also of note has been the performance of the sophomore setting tandem of Ashley Anderson (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) and Sarah Matesich (Granville, Ohio/Granville), who expertly worked the ball around on offense during the Great Lakes Tournament. The Tigers finished with a significantly higher attack percentage in each of the three matches last weekend, in part thanks to good ball movement by the setters.
Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page and season statistics page.
Next: 11/17 vs. New York UniversityNCAA Division III Tournament Quarterfinals (Salem, Va.)
Emily Bell Earns Honorable Mention All-America
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Wittenberg sophomore Emily Bell has been named honorable mention All-America in an announcement from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Read More ...
Jackie Williams Named NCAC Newcomer of the Year to Headline All-Conference Selections
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Hiram senior Shana Toth (Mantua, OH/Crestwood) has been named Player of the Year to highlight the 2005 All-North Coast Athletic Conference volleyball selections. Read More ...
Emily Bell Makes All-Great Lakes Region
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Wittenberg placed one player on the 2005 All-Great Lakes Region honor roll and another earned honorable mention recognition. Read More ...
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Jackie Williams
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For the first time in nearly a decade, the Tigers are not the NCAC regular season champion, hence Wittenberg hits the road Friday for the semifinals and, hopefully, finals of the conference tournament. The honor of hosting the event goes to Hiram for the first time ever after the Terriers went 8-0 in the NCAC, including a 3-1 win over Wittenberg on Oct. 7, the first loss for the Tigers in conference regular season action since 1997.
Wittenberg, which is now 27-4 overall, has been the NCAC Tournament champion every year since 1996, when Ohio Wesleyan dealt the Tigers a 3-2 defeat. The tourney titlist gains an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament, and the second-seeded Tigers are hoping to gain entry in that manner for the ninth straight year with a semifinal win over third-seeded Denison on Friday and then a win in the championship match on Saturday against either fourth-seeded Wooster or top-seeded Hiram.
The Tigers have a great deal of momentum heading into the NCAC Tournament. Since the loss to Hiram, Wittenberg has reeled off 12 consecutive wins, including four straight last weekend in the Wittenberg Fall Classic. The Tigers stand sixth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll and first in the Great Lakes Region in polling done by the NCAA. Wittenberg has finished the regular season ranked first in the region three straight years, and in two of them went on to advance out of the regional bracket of the NCAA Division III Tournament to compete in the national quarterfinals. Last year, Wittenberg lost in that round to La Verne, 3-0.
In recent weeks, Wittenberg has been dominating, winning nine of their last 12 matches by 3-0 scores, including a lop-sided victory over 23rd ranked Carthage during the Fall Classic. The catalyst on offense has been freshman outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat), who has been amazingly efficient. For the season, Williams has an attack percentage of .369, just a few points off Tiffany Keller’s school record of .373 established in 2000.
Williams has had several matches with an attack percentage above .400 as she has become one of the team’s primary offensive options. She is one of four outside hitters with more than 200 kills this season, a testament to the Tigers’ balance.
The team leader in kills is sophomore outside hitter Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) with 294, and she has been almost as good on defense with 454 digs, third-most on the team. Sophomore outside hitter Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) stands second on the team in both kills and digs, while freshman libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) leads with 620 digs.
Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page and season statistics page.
Next: 11/4 vs. DenisonNCAC Tournament Semifinals
Busy Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Ahead for Wittenberg Athletic Teams
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University is always a busy place during its annual Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, especially in and around the athletic complex. The 2005 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend may well be the topper. Read More...
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Jan Kehres
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Sophomore outside hitter Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) was simply outstanding in the tournament as the Tigers defeated three 2004 NCAA Division III Tournament qualifying teams. Against Coe College, Kehres pounded 15 kills in 24 attempts with no errors for an astounding attack percentage of .625. She was named to the all-tournament team as a result.
Sophomore outside hitter Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) and senior outside hitter Linda Young (Minster, Ohio/Minster) also had strong performances over the weekend, propelling them to berths on the all-tournament team as well. Also of note was the strong play of freshman outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat), who pounded 11 kills in 13 attempts in a win over the host team.
With the first North Coast Athletic Conference loss since 1997 already in the books, the Tigers have some pressing issues still ahead of them as the season winds to a close. A key match at nationally ranked Mount St. Joseph on Friday will go a long way toward NCAA Division III Tournament positioning. Wittenberg is ranked second in the Great Lakes Region currently, one spot ahead of Mount St. Joseph and one behind current Ohio Athletic Conference leader Capital.
A week later, the Tigers host the Wittenberg Fall Classic, which features a strong field, including Baldwin-Wallace, Mount Union, Carthage, Alma, Carnegie Mellon and Wooster.
Details about the Tigers' season can be found on the team's schedule/results page and season statistics page.
Next: 10/21 @ Mount St. Joseph
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Caitlin Augustus
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Hiram, the NCAC runner-up each of the last two years, is now in the drivers' seat as the 2005 regular season title chase draws toward a close. The Tigers, who haven't lost in NCAC Tournament play since 1996, will likely have to hit the road to defend their title at Hiram in early November.
All is hardly lost, however. Wittenberg remains the top ranked team in the state of Ohio and the NCAC at No. 7 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. The Tigers are 18-4 overall and 6-1 in the NCAC, and this weekend they are heading to a tournament hosted by California State-East Bay (formerly Hayward). The host team, which Wittenberg plays on Friday evening, is also ranked nationally.
Statistically, the Tigers remain extremely balanced. Most notably, senior middle hitter Emily Dixon (Granville, Ohio/Granville) and sophomore middle hitter Caitlin Augustus (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) are both averaging more than one block per game to rank among the NCAC leaders. Sophomore outside hitters Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) and Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) are first and second on the team in kills with 195 and 193 respectively, and they rank second and third in digs with 345 and 335 respectively. The team leader in digs is freshman Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula), whose 431 digs rank among the NCAC and NCAA Division III leaders.
All of the details about the Tigers are documented in game stories found on the team's schedule/results page. Season statistics can be found by clicking here.
Next: 10/14-15 @ Cal State-East Bay|
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Jackie Williams
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The Tigers, ranked fifth in the country currently, stand 15-3 overall and 3-0 in the NCAC at the midway point of the 2005 season. Coming off the best season in school history at 35-3, the numbers are somewhat pedestrian at first glance - until it is noted that this year’s team features just three returning starters and is getting contributions from numerous inexperienced underclassmen.
Wittenberg’s three losses this season - to No. 1 ranked Washington University, No. 2 ranked defending national champion Juniata and Ohio Athletic Conference contender Muskingum - are more a product of an extremely challenging schedule than any obvious weaknesses on the team. Two of the defeats were in five games, including the most recent against Muskingum in the final match at the Waynesburg Tournament on Sept. 24.
Since then, the Tigers have bounced back to take the measure of Earlham and Wooster in NCAC action and Otterbein in a non-conference tilt on Saturday, Oct. 1. In each case, the Tigers swept all three games.
Despite nagging injuries to several key players, Wittenberg continues to roll. Offensively, no Tiger players will be appearing among the NCAC or NCAA Division III leaders in 2005 because the wealth is spread around so evenly. Three players have topped the 100-kill plateau - sophomore outside hitters Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance) and Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) and freshman outside hitter Jackie Williams (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat). Williams has come on strong of late, and she leads the Tigers on a per-game average at 3.29. Three other players have at least 90 kills on the season.
Defense has been a trademark of Tiger teams under the leadership of third-year Head Coach Paco Labrador, and in 2005, freshman libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) has been outstanding from the very beginning. She leads the team and ranks among the conference and national leaders with 6.14 digs per game, followed closely by Kehres and Bell, who both have more than 250 digs on the season. The Tigers also block well, as sophomore middle hitter Caitlin Augustus (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) leads with 67 and senior middle hitter Emily Dixon (Granville, Ohio/Granville) is next with 49.
All of the details about the Tigers are documented in game stories found on the team's schedule/results page. Season statistics can be found by clicking here.
Next: 10/4 @ Kenyon|
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Jan Kehres
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After beating three other nationally ranked teams already this year, Wittenberg has moved up one place from No. 4 to No. 3 in the national rankings. The Tigers have won their last seven matches, including four straight without dropping a game during last weekends Border Battle, which featured the top teams in Ohio and Michigan.
Most recently, the Tigers opened North Coast Athletic Conference action with a 3-0 win at Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday. Wittenberg has now won 60 straight NCAC regular season matches, dating back to a 1997 loss at Case Western Reserve.
Statistically, the Tigers are more balanced than ever before, led by the sophomore outside hitting duo of Emily Bell (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) and Jan Kehres (Alliance, Ohio/Alliance), both of whom rarely take a break and have become the focal points of a diverse offensive attack. Bell ranks second on the team in kills and digs and first in service aces, while Kehres leads in kills, is second in aces and is third in digs.
All of the details about the Tigers, including strong performances by sophomore outside hitter Lindsey Penrod (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua), sophomore setter Sarah Matesich (Granville, Ohio/Newark Catholic), senior middle hitter Emily Dixon (Granville, Ohio/Granville), senior outside hitter Linda Young (Minster, Ohio/Minster), freshman libero Laura Fender (Toledo, Ohio/St. Ursula) and sophomore middle hitter Caitlin Augustus (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) are well documented in game stories found on the team's schedule/results page.
Season statistics can be found by clicking here.
Next: 9/23-24 @ Waynesburg Tourn.SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Although the Wittenberg University volleyball team is focused on its season, the members of the third-ranked Tigers haven't lost perspective. As part of this weekend's first annual Border Battle, featuring the top NCAA Division III teams in Ohio and Michigan in a unique round robin format, a clothing drive will be conducted to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. Read More...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Read more about incoming recruits Kathleen Graham, Searra Schell, Laura Fender, Jackie Williams, Jessica Kimble and Brittany Steinbrecher. Read More...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University volleyball team, coming off the best season in school history, is getting plenty of preseason respect in 2005. With the team motto of "New Faces - Same Tradition" printed on the back of the Tigers' practice T-shirts, Wittenberg will open the season ranked No. 4 in the CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III Coaches Preseason Poll and No. 1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Read More ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Defending champion Wittenberg University emerged as the preseason favorite in balloting by North Coast Athletic Conference volleyball coaches conducted via email ballot. The Tigers, who rolled to a perfect 8-0 conference record and earned their eighth consecutive NCAC championship last fall, earned six of nine first-place votes from league coaches to total 76 points. Wittenberg topped second place Hiram by a slim four-point margin. The Terriers, who finished as the NCAC runner-up the past two seasons, earned one first-place nod from the coaches to tally 72 points. Wooster (63), coming off its most successful season in 20 years, picked up the remaining two first-place votes to finish third, followed by Denison (57) and Allegheny (46) in fourth and fifth, respectively. Ohio Wesleyan (29) and Kenyon (29) tied for sixth, while Earlham (23) and Oberlin (10) round out the poll in eighth and ninth. Read More ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University's volleyball team was one of 274 high school and college programs to earn the 2004-05 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors mens and womens college and high school teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale during the school year. Read More ...
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