When the final ball hit the floor in Wittenberg’s 3-0 NCAA Division III Tournament championship victory over Christopher Newport on Nov. 20, there was a release of energy that could be felt from coast to coast. Tiger fans everywhere joined in the celebration of Wittenberg’s first NCAA Championship in 34 years as the 2011 Tiger volleyball team took its place alongside the football teams in 1973 and 1975 and the men’s basketball teams in 1961 and 1977 – in addition to three football poll titles claimed in 1962, 1964 and 1969.
By Ryan Maurer, Photos by Erin Pence ’04
The Tigers lost just one set in six matches en route to one of the most dominating NCAA Division III Tournament titles in history. Wittenberg became the first Ohio school to win an NCAA women’s volleyball championship – regardless of division. And Christine Simpson ‘12, Christina Gilene ’13 and Kimmie Dyer ’12 were awarded spots on the all-tournament team, with Dyer adding Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors.
“Typically, national championship teams feature first-team All-Americans and National Players of the Year, but our team in 2011 was the epitome of the word ‘team,’” said Head Coach Paco Labrador. “We had three players earn All-America awards, but this title was the product of a collective effort. Every player on the roster made a significant contribution.”
The road to the championship match was a three-week whirlwind, starting with a sweep of North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) rivals Wooster and Hiram to win the NCAC Tournament and advance to the 16th straight NCAA Division III Tournament. It was Wittenberg’s fifth straight NCAC Tournament title and 17th since joining the league in 1989 after the Tigers posted a perfect 16-0 NCAC regular season record to earn their sixth straight crown and 17th all-time.
The Tigers were rewarded with a trip to the most challenging regional of the 64-team tournament, hosted by defending national champion Calvin, which had knocked the Tigers out of the national tournament in 2009 and 2010. The Knights entered the 2011 NCAA Division III Tournament ranked No. 1 and unbeaten, including a 3-2 heartstopper over Wittenberg on Sept. 16 in Springfield.
The Tigers were more than up to the task, sweeping Rose- Hulman and 13th-ranked Heidelberg before stunning Calvin, 3-1 – ironically the same score of the 2010 regional title match won by the Knights at Wittenberg. By the end of the weekend, the top three teams in the national rankings had fallen, guaranteeing a first-time national champion as eight teams converged on St. Louis, Mo., for the national quarterfinals at Washington University.
Along with the opportunity to compete for one of the NCAA’s famed Walnut & Bronze trophies, a berth in the national quarterfinals brought plenty of other activities and events, starting with a community service project at Good Shepherd Children and Family Services in St. Louis. The Wittenberg contingent put the “E” in Tiger GAME Plan, “engaging” in their community service the only way they know how. Assigned simply to paint a few walls, Tiger students, coaches and administrators moved outside to rake leaves and prepare flowerbeds.
Later that day, Dyer and Hannah Riley ’12 spoke at the annual All-America banquet and represented their teammates, coaches and university beautifully. They spoke succinctly but eloquently about the meaning of teamwork and the sense of perspective the team had in light of illnesses suffered by a pair of teammates, Hillary Monnin ’12 and Hillary Hassink ‘13.
Back on the court, the Tigers continued to sharpen their focus, making short work of 17th-ranked California Lutheran and fourth-ranked Eastern by matching 3-0 scores to reach the first NCAA Division III Tournament title match in program history. That set the stage for the national championship match and the Tigers’ 33rd 3-0 sweep of the 2011 season.
“We went out on that court in St. Louis knowing that we had so much support from Wittenberg fans around the country, and especially back here on our campus,” Labrador said shortly after saluting the Tiger fans who welcomed the team home at a celebration in the HPER Center on Nov. 21. “We could literally feel the cheers from our fans as they watched the matches, especially the large crowds assembled in Founders. It meant so much to every player and every coach on this team to know that the entire Wittenberg community was supporting us.”