The DePauw women's volleyball team is continuously adding to their win-streak.
Currently, they have won 16 games in a row, with the only loss of the season coming in their first contest.
Most recently, they dominated Ohio Wesleyan University Tuesday night with a final score of 3-0. It was the Tigers' third North Coast Athletic Conference match-up of the year. They have won all three.
"The success of the women's volleyball team mirrors the success, energy and excitement that our department and many of our teams are experiencing," Athletic Director Stevie Baker-Watson said. "The volleyball program has made great strides in the last two years and that's a credit to the coaching staff and the student-athletes who have chosen to be a part of this program."
Senior Kelly Doyle had ten kills in the team's dominant performance at Ohio Wesleyan.
On the defensive end, sophomore Keely McGrath led the team with 16 digs, while first-year Rachael Lenderman had 13.
The win is not anything the team is taking for granted, however. Last season, the team's 17-game winning streak was broken by a 3-1 loss against Wittenberg University, who the Tigers meet again this coming Tuesday.
Sophomore Sarah Burtenshaw believes the team is ready.
"Obviously it's going to be a big match for us. Having such a young team last year, we're a year more experienced and a year more confident than we were, and we're really just focusing on ourselves," Burtenshaw said.
The key for the team is to keep the pace and momentum on DePauw's side.
"We're ready to show them what playing DePauw volleyball means," Burtenshaw said.
This season, Wittenberg is ranked 12th nationally. Competition has been good for the Tigers though, according to Baker-Watson.
"As I have watched our team this year, they have utilized their strengths and exploited weaknesses of their opponents," Baker-Watson said. "Our team is going to need to continue with that mentality and be flexible...Tuesday night will be a great match-up and measuring point for our program; the winning streak isn't what folks should be focusing on."
Before the big match-up, the Tigers first have to face Kenyon College this Saturday. Last season, they beat Kenyon 3-0.
Lenderman said the season has exceeded her expectations with the win-streak and it has bonded the women, which was especially important for the first-years, including Lenderman.
"It was a little intimidating joining a team that had done so well last year especially because beating a 17-game winning streak is no easy feat," Lenderman said. "We've already had a great start to our season, but DePauw volleyball is never satisfied."