Tigers Capture Seventh Straight NCAC Tournament Championship

Wittenberg races past DePauw and Hiram to finish off another league tourney title and earn NCAC's automatic berth in NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Tigers celebrated another NCAC Tournament title after a 3-0 win over Hiram. Photo by Erin Pence
The Tigers celebrated another NCAC Tournament title after a 3-0 win over Hiram. Photo by Erin Pence
November 9, 2013
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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Winning North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championships never gets old for the Wittenberg volleyball team. The Tigers made it seven NCAC Tournament titles in a row and 19 overall with a pair of 3-0 wins Saturday over DePauw and Hiram.

Wittenberg, which has won 16 straight NCAC Tournament matches dating back to 2006, improved to 23-8 on the 2013 season. The Tigers will take a nine-match winning streak into the NCAA Division III Tournament after earning the NCAC's automatic berth into the competition.

The Tigers, who also have an active 43-match NCAC regular season winning streak, will make their 19th NCAA Division III Tournament appearance and their 18th in a row. The 2013 tournament brackets will be announced on Monday, Nov. 11.

Against DePauw, the No. 4 seed in the tournament after finishing in a three-way tie for second place with Denison and Hiram, the Tigers picked up the win by set scores of 25-19, 25-20, 33-31. Senior Andrea Behling (Columbus, Ind./North) was outstanding, finishing with 13 kills and a .480 attack percentage.

She was backed by stellar play from sophomore Kara Seidenstricker (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) with 12 kills, nine digs and four blocks, and junior Meghan Vodopich (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Perry) with five kills, 39 assists, three aces and four digs. Junior libero Kiah Murray (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) continued her steady defensive play with 19 digs, and sophomore Melissa Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) added eight kills and eight digs.

The win over Hiram was even more decisive, as the Tigers won the sets by scores of 25-20, 25-11, 25-21.

Seidenstricker earned all-tournament team honors with another spectacular performance, finishing with 13 kills and a .355 attack percentage to go along with 11 digs and two aces. Behling continued to excel as well, contributing 10 kills and a .381 attack percentage, while freshman Camila Quiñones (Sunbury, Ohio/Worthington Christian) also picked up all-tournament team honors with nine kills and two blocks.

Tournament MVP honors were bestowed upon Vodopich after she capped a fine weekend with five kills, 31 assists, three aces, 10 digs and two blocks.