Wittenberg 3, Ohio Wesleyan 0

Oct. 10, 2007

Senior outside hitter Steffi Graf (Poland/Seminary) led Ohio Wesleyan with 9 kills and 18 digs and junior setter Shea Pence (Danville, Ind./Danville Community) turned in a 5-kill, 23-assist performance, but second-ranked Wittenberg outlasted Ohio Wesleyan in a North Coast Athletic Conference match on Wednesday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Wittenberg defeated Ohio Wesleyan by scores of 30-19, 30-18, 30-23.

The Tigers took an early 5-1 lead in the first game with the help of Caitlin Augustus's 2 kills. Ohio Wesleyan remained within striking distance, closing to within 12-7 on a kill by junior middle hitter Janna Dagley (Beavercreek), but Wittenberg answered with an 8-1 run that included 3 kills by Emily Bell. The Bishops rallied to within 24-16 as sophomore outside hitter Kristin Kovach (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and junior middle hitter Katie Hamilton (Hilliard/Darby), but once again, the Tigers had a response, getting a pair of kills from Jan Kehres in reeling off 4 straight points, and Wittenberg finished off the game on a kill by Bell.

In the second game, the Bishops erased an early 4-1 deficit with the help of a Graf kill and a Dagley block, but Wittenberg broke a 5-5 tie with a 6-1 spurt that included a kill and a block by Jessica Kimble. Ohio Wesleyan kept it close, coming within 3 points on 3 different occasions, and was still within 20-15 on a Graf kill and a Wittenberg error before the Tigers reeled off 6 straight points. Blocks by Jackie Williams and Kimble figured in that run, which concluded with a Tiger serve hitting the net and dropping straight down for a 26-15 Wittenberg lead. After the teams traded points 3 times, Sarah Matesich ended the game with a service ace.

Wittenberg threatened to run away with the third game, stretching a 4-3 lead into a 9-3 margin as Kate Snead and Amy Cox each recorded a pair of kills. The Bishops chipped away at the deficit, closing to 12-8 on a Pence block and to within 16-13 on a Wittenberg error. The Tigers countered with a 10-3 run that included a pair of Kehres kills. Ohio Wesleyan bounced back once more, slicing the margin to 28-23 on Dagley's block, but the Tigers got the next 2 points to end the match.

Graf led the Bishops with 9 kills and 18 digs, while Kovach finished with 6 kills and 10 digs. Pence added 5 kills and 12 digs to her team-leading 23 assists, and Dagley finished with 3 kills and a team-high 3 blocks.