Men’s Volleyball Defeats Wentworth, 3-1, to Move On in NCAA Division III Tournament

HUNTINGDON, PA – And the beat goes on for Wittenberg Men's Volleyball as the Tigers took down No. 13 Wentworth Institute of Technology, 3-1, to advance to the next round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Memorial Gymnasium on the campus of Juniata College on Thursday, April 16.

Wittenberg, now on a 12-match win streak, improved to 22-5 overall and advanced to a second-round match against the host team, Juniata, ranked second in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll with a 29-2 overall record. The Eagles received nine first-place votes in the most recent poll. The two teams will face off on Friday, April 17, at 4 p.m.

After getting off to a slow start against Wentworth, the Tigers did what they do best – spread out the offense while attacking the Leopards with their many weapons across the net. And after faltering in set one, the Tigers dominated the next three sets, leading from start to finish in two of the three to tally the first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament victory in program history by scores of 21-25, 25-20, 25-17, and 25-20.

Forcing a definite momentum swing in set two, Wittenberg came out energetic, shut down Wentworth's tall middles and out-hit the Leopards .292 to .080. The Tigers continued to connect the rest of the way, looking toward round two. 

"I'm really proud of the fight we showed after the first set not going our way," said Jamie Peterson, head coach of men's volleyball. "We stayed composed and confident. Our setters did a great job of spreading out the offense, making us very hard to stop. We are ready to take on a very talented Juniata squad tomorrow afternoon."

Four players landed nine kills each for the Tigers, including Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin), Michael Yurk (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard), Harrison Mitchell (Dublin, OH / Scioto), and Zach Newton (Morgantown, IN / Franklin Community). Newton and Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) led the team in blocks with four each and Halverson and Patterson Reed (Louisville, KY / St. Xavier) each added two.

Halverson anchored the defense with a team-high 15 digs, while Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) and Jake Downs (Cincinnati, OH / Milford) grabbed seven apiece. Carson Hill (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East) led the team in assists with 20, and Hagerty tallied 16. Halverson and Yurk each had two service aces in the match.

Wittenberg Men's Volleyball advanced to the NCAA Div. III Tournament for the first time in program history after defeating Calvin, 3-2, in a five-set thriller in the finals of the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball (MCVL) Tournament on Saturday, April 11, at Pam Evans Smith Arena, part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex. The Tigers were the regular-season co-champions of the MCVL with an 8-1 record. The MCVL Tournament title was Wittenberg's first in four years as a league member, while the regular season title was the third in four years for the Tigers in the MCVL.

After competing against a challenging regular season schedule, Wittenberg came into the national event with a record of 2-1 against teams that earned berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament and a record of 1-2 against teams receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll.

The winners of the second-round matches will square off on Saturday, April 18, for the right to advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament semifinals on Thursday, April 23, at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. The national championship match will take place on Saturday, April 25, also at Springfield College.

Team Comparison

• Wittenberg had 43 kills on 112 total attacks for a .214 hitting percentage, along with 42 assists, four service aces, 46 digs, and 15 blocks.
• Wentworth registered 40 kills on 117 total attacks for a .128 hitting percentage, along with 36 assists, three service aces, 43 digs, and eight blocks. The Leopards, who committed 23 service errors, finish the season at 19-10.

Written by: Cindy Holbrook