Pam Evans Smith Arena was full of spectators all weekend, as Wittenberg played host to several nationally-ranked volleyball teams competing in the Wittenberg Fall Classic.
The biggest match-up of the weekend was eighth ranked Wittenberg against first ranked Regals of Cal Lutheran. The match was a rematch of the 2015 National Championship.
Wittenberg’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) previously announced that the event be a Code Red game, where students and fans are encouraged to attend wearing their Wittenberg Red and showing Tiger Pride. SAAC had one goal in mind: “Pack the Pam.”
“On the floor, you could hear the fire come from the hearts of Wittenberg students,” said sophomore Ashton Sellers, who served as a line judge over the weekend. “It was amazing.
“The players could feel it, I could feel it, everyone could feel it whether we were up or whether we were down,” Sellers continued.
The Tigers defeated the Regals 3-1, giving their all in the four-set match. All players made strong efforts in their performances all night, including sophomores Karen Wildemann and Megan Flaherty, combining for 43 assists.
“We proved tonight that we are the ones that can throw the punches,” said coach Paco Labrador in a post-game interview, “and that when we get knocked out, we can get right back up and finish the deal like we did in the fourth set.”
A win for the Tigers meant an end to Cal Lutheran’s nine-game undefeated season. Wittenberg won their next game and lost their last, ending 2-1 for the Classic.
“It was an extravagant game of excellence with a crowd roaring like a thousand waves crashing on stones at the beach,” Sellers said.
Other teams that travelled to Springfield include #3 Calvin, #5 Juniata, #19 Washington-St. Louis, #22 Elmhurst and Heidelberg.
For her performance on Friday night, as well as through Saturday, the North Coast Athletic Conference named Maggie Fischer as volleyball player of the week.
The junior outside hitter recorded six blocks, six aces and 20 digs in 12 sets played against three ranked teams. Of her 42 kills on the weekend, 21 kills were against Elmhurst.
Calvin proved to be the best team on the court during the Classic. The Knights advanced to 10-0 for their undefeated season after a 3-1 win over the Tigers.
Wittenberg will begin conference play this weekend, hosting the Hiram Terriers on Saturday and Allegheny Gators on Sunday.
