Trio Of Tigers Players, Coaching Staff Earn NCAC Field Hockey Awards
| NCAC Field Hockey Web Page |
CLEVELAND, OH - Three Wittenberg Field Hockey standouts earned postseason awards from the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and the Tiger coaching staff, comprised of Head Coach Brighid Kortyna and Assistant Coach Maddie Passarella, was selected as the 2024 NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
Junior forward Devyn Groves (La Grange, KY / Oldham County Senior) and senior midfielder Lucy Ripepi (Lakewood, OH / Magnificat) both picked up first-team awards for their stellar play during the 2024 season, while senior forward Katie Webber (Columbus, OH / Upper Arlington) was selected for a second-team honor. The all-conference recognition was the first in the collegiate careers of Groves and Webber, while Ripepi was named to the All-NCAC list for a third time. She earned third-team in 2023 and first-team in 2022.
Groves led Wittenberg with 11 goals and 26 total points on the season. Four of her goals were game-winners. Webber was the only other Wittenberg player to reach double figures in scoring as she finished with five goals and 11 total points. Ripepi tied Groves for the team lead in assists with four on the season.
The Coaching Staff of the Year honor is the 10th coaching award in Wittenberg program history, covering six different coaches/coaching staffs. It is the first time Wittenberg has earned the award since Kelley Hubbell in 2010.
The Tigers finished third in the NCAC regular season standings with an 8-2 record. Wittenberg saw its season come to a dramatic close with a 1-0 overtime loss to second-seeded Denison in the NCAC Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The Tigers posted an overall record of 11-3.