Wittenberg Women’s Volleyball Invited to Statehouse to Accept Commendation

Springfield, Ohio – Wittenberg University's 2015 women's volleyball team has been invited to accept a commendation at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10.

"It is an honor to invite the Wittenberg volleyball team to the Ohio Statehouse to recognize them as NCAC (North Coast Athletic Conference) champions and runners-up in the NCAA championship," State Rep. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, said. "This national accomplishment is a result of the team's continued dedication and determination, and I am humbled and honored to recognize the team and coaches for their outstanding achievement."

The commendation will be presented on the floor of the Ohio House of Representatives during the afternoon session by Rep. Koehler to salute and congratulate the team on a remarkable 29-3 season.

"I am pleased that our women's volleyball team is being recognized for its outstanding accomplishments by Representative Kyle Koehler and the Ohio House of Representatives," said Wittenberg University Interim President Dick Helton, Ph.D.

The team last visited the Statehouse in 2012 after winning the NCAA championship in 2011. The Tigers became the first women's college volleyball team from Ohio — regardless of division — to claim a national title, and the first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) member to earn a national volleyball championship that year.

"Wittenberg has a very hard-working group of volleyball student-athletes, and to have someone outside our team and family recognize them for the time they invested into this season, both on the court and in the classroom, is wonderful," Wittenberg University Head Coach Paco Labrador said. "It's great to be recognized on a statewide scale. It's a chance to share our season success with all of Ohio."

The Tigers finished the 2015 season ranked second nationally and were runners-up in the NCAA Division III tournament after falling to California Lutheran University of Thousand Oaks, Calif.

"We are so thankful to Rep. Kyle Koehler for the opportunity to come to the Statehouse and for honoring this tremendous team," said Wittenberg Athletic Director Dr. Gary Williams. "While this is a celebration for the success of their season, it is also a time to acknowledge the tremendous impact the women on this team and our coaches make on the whole university.  We are proud of the work this group does in all facets of college life and this team truly represents the Wittenberg mission and values on and off the court."

This year, the Tigers were led by mostly veterans with a great mix of young players making key contributions throughout the season, including in the tournament. Six seniors in Kara Seidenstricker, Kristina Fultz, Callan Swaim, Melissa Emming, Bryanna Jay, and Lexi Wredberg, were in the recruitment process when the Tigers earned the national title.

"One of the story lines this year was that the seniors on this team were prospective players when we won it in 2011. They have had great seasons throughout their time here, advancing to the  'Sweet 16' round each of their first three years," said Labrador, owner of a stunning career record of 406-62 in 12 years at Wittenberg.

"They fell short each of those three years, but they have shown how relentless they are, learning and growing as a team to finally advance beyond the regionals," he added. "This year it was the right mix to get us through to the finals. Unfortunately, we ran into Cal Lutheran who, from player to player, was better than us at each position. We have a good nucleus of juniors coming back, along with freshmen and sophomores that weren't just sitting on the bench - they were playing and tasting it."

Despite the deep run into postseason play and several days of missed class time, the Tiger volleyball team turned in a team grade point average of 3.47.

"Even through a season that lasted a most-challenging three months, they balanced volleyball and their school work. They stayed well-prepared on the court and up-to-date on their classes," Labrador said. "Out of 21 players, 12 made the Dean's List and four of them earned a 4.0."

-By Cindy Holbrook, Office of University Communications