With the No. 6 team in the nation at the top of the conference, the Tigers have their work cut out for them on the road to a NCAC championship.
Wittenberg University (29-3, 16-0 NCAC) is looking for its fifth straight NCAC title and another chance at the NCAA Div. III championship. Last year, Wittenberg proceeded into the third round of the NCAA tournament, falling to the eventual champion Calvin College.
But before the Tigers (21-11, 11-5 NCAC) get a chance to play Wittenberg for the NCAC crown, they must make it through the Hiram College Terriers (25-7, 13-3 NCAC).
On Saturday, DePauw played its final regular season game of the season against Hiram and lost 0-3. Head coach Deb Zellers attributed the loss to what has been a constant area of concern all season: focus and energy on the court.
"I think we didn't come into that game with a lot of confidence," Zellers said. "It's been a common theme this season. For a team to play well, you have to be relaxed and confident. We saw the great things Hiram does and we forgot what we do."
One of those great things that Hiram exhibits is its strength on the block. If the Tigers hope for a shot at the NCAC championship, the DePauw hitters will have to figure out a way to worked around Hiram's skilled blockers.
To do that, the Tigers can also use their biggest strength, says Zellers, which is their multiple hitters on the court.
"We're not a team where an opponent can say, ‘We have to stop this one player offensively,'" Zellers said. "I think that can be really good, because it doesn't allow another team to zero in a strategy."
But for the Tigers, confidence level and the players' ability to stay focused and relaxed at all times on the court are vital.
"For us, it's finding that balance in everyone feeling good and connecting on their play at the same time," Zellers said. "When we've done that in stretches we've played very well."
What's important to Zellers is instructing her team to leave it all on the court.
"Our thing this season is when we've been able to not worry about the outcomes and go in relaxed and ready, we play our best volleyball," Zellers said. "If we get caught up in, ‘We have to beat Hiram or we have to beat Wittenberg,' that's when we put pressure on ourselves."
The Tigers will take on Hiram at Wittenberg Friday after the conclusion of the Wittenberg—College of Wooster match. If the Tigers make it past Hiram, the team face either Wittenberg or Wooster in the championship game Saturday.