It may be Homecoming weekend for Wittenberg University, but that's not stopping Tiger athletes from competing this weekend as well as into next week. Let's take a look at what's happening for the Tigers.
Football
This Saturday is the annual Homecoming game for Wittenberg Football, where the team will play against Kenyon College for a 2 p.m. kickoff. This will be the program's second home game of the season, and fourth conference matchup. The Tigers traveled to #6 ranked John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, last week, taking a 49-3 loss to the Blue Streaks. This was the third straight game the Tigers had to face nationally-ranked opponents, including Washington & Lee and Wabash. The team heads into the Homecoming game 0-4 to start the season, and 0-3 NCAC conference record, and look to turn things around against the Kenyon Owls.
Men's and Women's Soccer
After a strong start to the season for the men's soccer program, the team has hit a slight slump after three road games, losing to Alma on Sept. 19 2-1, tying Transylvania on Sept. 22 at 1-1, and losing to Otterbein on Sept. 30 2-1. The program had recently made it to the regional rankings at #7, following a win against UMass Boston. The men's team overall record sits at 3-2-4.
Women's soccer went through similar struggles, tying Transylvania at 0-0 on Sept. 19 as well as losing two home games vs. Hope 3-0 on Sept. 23 and vs. Trine 2-1 on Sept. 26. The team bounced back in a big way on Wednesday, Sept. 30 on the road at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, winning 5-0, including two goals by both sophomore Olivia Gillum and junior Sarah Deaton to put the team's overall record at 3-5-1, creating great momentum towards the first conference matches of the year.
Both teams will travel together to University Heights, Ohio, on Saturday, Oct. 3 to play John Carroll for their first conference matchups of 2026. The women's team will hit the field first with a 1 p.m. match start, followed by the men's team for a 4 p.m. start. Both teams will stay on the road for conference matches on Wednesday, Oct. 7, with the men's playing at Kenyon in Gambier, Ohio, at 4 p.m. and the women's playing at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., at 7 p.m.
Women's Volleyball
After tough losses in the MIAA-NCAC Crossover hosted by Hope College where the team fell for all three of their matches, as well as falling to Marietta on Sept. 15 and two losses in the Illinois Wesleyan Tournament on Sept. 18-19, the program has found themselves squarely back on track with two straight 3-0 wins on the road against Transylvania on Sept. 22 as well as a big win at home against Denison on Sept. 26, which was the first conference matchup of the season for the Tigers, to improve to a 6-7 overall record and now a 1-0 conference record. The win vs. Denison was also the 150th win for head coach Evelyn Miller at Wittenberg, dating back to her first season in 2018.
Women's volleyball will have three road games within the next week, starting tonight at Muskingum University for a regional matchup in New Concord, Ohio, at 7 p.m., followed by the team's second NCAC conference matchup at Kenyon College on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m., then a non-conference matchup at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.
Field Hockey
Following a dominant 7-0 victory at home against conference foe Transylvania for the field hockey program this past Saturday, Sept. 26, which saw freshman Livinia Walsh score a hat-trick courtesy to her three goals, the team has now improved to a 3-5 overall record and a 2-2 conference record. The program will have a busy weekend at home, with two conference matchups vs. The College of Wooster on Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. and Kenyon College on Oct. 4 at 1 p.m.
Men's and Women's Tennis
The men's tennis team will complete their fall season this weekend at the ITA Central Regional Championships hosted by Wabash College in Indianapolis, Ind., for a three-day show between Oct. 2-4. The men's team started their season strong with a win over Mount Union, before falling to Cedarville and Indiana-East. The women's team has completed their fall season and will return to action in March 2027 for the spring season.
Men's and Women's Golf
Following a 16th place result for the men's golf team in the Gate City Invitational, they will travel to Akron, Ohio, for the Blue Streak Invitational on Oct. 5 and 6. The tournament will be hosted by John Carroll University at the Firestone Golf Club. The women's golf team is off for this weekend following a seventh-place finish in the UW - Whitewater Fall Classic, highlighted by a top 5 finish in the players rankings by sophomore London Dodson, who ended the tournament tied 4th at +11 over par.
Men's and Women's Cross Country
Both XC teams for Wittenberg will travel to Powell, Ohio today for the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University in Liberty Park. This will mark the third matches for the programs, following the Mike Baymer XC Classic on Sept. 4 and the Spartan Invitational on Sept. 11.
Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving
To celebrate Homecoming Weekend on campus, the Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving programs will begin their seasons with the Alumni Meet on Saturday, Oct. 3. This will precede the Oberlin Invitational the week after on Oct. 9 and 10.
Men's and Women's Ice Hockey
The Wittenberg Ice Hockey Program made their historic debut this past week, with the men's team traveling to Angola, Ind., to play their first three games of the season on Sept. 25-27. All three games ended in losses, but freshman Rylan Wempe scored the first goal in program history during the third period of the Lake Superior State University match. The men's team will once again play Lake Superior twice this weekend, hosting them for the program's first home games at the NTRPD Chiller in Springfield. They will compete on Oct. 2 at 8:30 p.m. and Oct. 3 at 4:45 p.m.
The women's ice hockey team will make their anticipated debut as a program within the next week, with two games against Indiana University, traveling to Bloomington, Ind., on Oct. 3 for a 2 p.m. start and then traveling back home to play them in the NTPRD Chiller on Oct. 4 at 3:45 p.m.
It's a busy time for Wittenberg athletes, with several teams well into or just starting conference play, as well as some programs starting up their seasons. Make sure to support your fellow students by cheering them on at the home games, especially the Homecoming football game at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
