Wittenberg Volleyball Opens 2011 Season Ranked No. 5 In The Nation

Christina Gilene and her  teammates hope to have even  more fun on the court in 2011.

Springfield, Ohio — In search of a 17th straight NCAA Division III Tournament berth and hungrier than ever for the first national championship in program history, the Wittenberg volleyball team will open the 2011 season ranked No. 5 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll.

Wittenberg ranks seventh in NCAA Division III history with 144 appearances in the weekly poll since its inception in 1992, but the Tigers' highest final ranking is No. 3 following the 2005 and 2007 seasons. Wittenberg has ranked in the final national top 25 every year since 1999.

The Tigers are coming off a 2010 season that included their league-record 16th North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season championship, extending Wittenberg's NCAC domination to 141 wins in their last 143 matches, stretching back to the 1997 season. The 13-1 NCAC regular season record was good for a share of the Tigers' seventh title in Head Coach Paco Labrador's eight seasons and the 16th title in the last 19 years for Wittenberg overall.

After capturing their 16th NCAC Tournament title, including 13 in the last 14 years, the Tigers hosted an NCAA Division III Tournament Regional. After wins over Ohio Northern and Hope, Wittenberg bowed out in the regional championship match to eventual national champion Calvin to finish with a sparkling 32-3 overall record.

Labrador's record now stands at a phenomenal 259-38. He ranks second among active coaches in all NCAA divisions with a .872 winning percentage.

The No. 5 ranking comes despite the loss of All-America setter Amy Cox, who graduated in May but remains in the program as an assistant coach in 2011. The rest of squad returns intact, led by All-America middle hitters Katie Sumner, class of 2012 from Dublin, Ohio, and Miranda Sagle, class of 2012 from Springfield, Ohio, All-NCAC outside hitter Kimmie Dyer, class of 2012 from Copley, Ohio, and All-Great Lakes Region libero Christina Gilene, class of 2013 from Milford, Ohio.

The 2011 season kicks off with the Wittenberg National Invitational on Friday, Sept. 2, and Saturday, Sept. 3, when the Tigers take on perennial national powers Emory, Juniata and Maryville (Tenn.). Emory starts the season ranked No. 2 after losing to Calvin in the 2010 national championship match and Juniata opens at No. 6.

Written By: Ryan Maurer

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