Edgewood's Noah Vencill looks forward to next season at Wittenberg

Wittenberg University's men's volleyball team run to a NCAA Division III title ended recently.

In a national semifinal match at Springfield College's Blake Arena, the Tigers fell Carthage 25-16, 25-18, 25-19.

The Firebirds, ranked No. 3 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll broke Wittenberg's 14-match win streak.

The loss ended the Tigers' season at 24-6 overall.

Noah Vencill, an Edgewood graduate, earned playing time at libero for Wittenberg.

He played in 22 matches, and posted 1.73 digs per set.

"For my first year at Wittenberg, I couldn't have asked for a better team to introduce me to the collegiate level of volleyball," Vencill said. "Even though we lost in the semifinals, we weren't upset, we were so proud of the accomplishment we made as a team."

Vencill said he took many experiences and teaching tools from the 2025-26 campaign that he can use for future seasons.

"This team taught me so much as a player and a person," he said. "I learned so much from the upperclassmen and I'm so grateful. They helped me get out of my head, pick me up when I'm down, and most importantly, they taught me what a true family looks like.

"I can proudly say I love each and everyone on the team. Looking forward to next year, and I'm thrilled and excited to get back at it."

In the 2025-26 season,Wittenberg made its first NCAA tournament appearance.

The Tigers captured a share of the MCVL regular season title in 2026 for the third time in the last four years, before breaking through in the conference tournament with a thrilling 3-2 win over Calvin April 11.

Wittenberg then toppled three-ranked opponents for the first time in program history. The 24 wins exceeded the previous high of 21.

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