By: Samantha Granger, sports information assistant
Hanover stats I Thomas More stats
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton volleyball team traveled to Hanover for a tri-match with Hanover College and Thomas More College. The first match of the day for the Beavers was against the host Panthers. With both teams undefeated in the Heartland Conference, it was a battle for the top spot in the HCAC.
Both teams came out neck-and-neck and set the pace for the whole match. Hanover took the first set, 27-25. The Beavers returned fire with a vengeance, easily rolling to a 25-15 victory while hitting .366 as a team. The visitors kept it rolling into set three, winning a close one by a 25-23 count. Hanover responded in the fourth set, taking it 25-21 as the Panthers evened the match at 2-2. In the deciding set, the Panthers jumped out to a quick start and the Beavers could not catch back up, falling 15-10.
Leading the Beavers offensively was junior MacKenzie McFarlin (Ashland), knocking down a whopping 20 kills and hitting .302 for the match. Seniors Jenny Brown (St. Marys/Memorial) and Kendra Parmenter (Grove City) chipped in 15 and 13 kills, respectively. Freshman Erin Weisgarber (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) dished out 47 assists and tallied 18 digs. While libero Sydney Mohler (Lima/Central Catholic) added 15 digs to the stat sheet.
After a long five-set match with Hanover, Bluffton had a talented Thomas More team waiting to face them. In set one the Beavers could not get in a rhythm, falling 25-13 in the lidlifter. Looking a little better in set two, the Beavers stayed within striking distance, but the Saints went up two sets to none with the 25-20 victory. In set three the Beavers came out strong and pulled within a set, 25-21. The Beavers pushed the Saints once again but couldn’t come up with the win, falling 25-22.
Setting the pace for the Beavers was freshman Erin Weisgarber with 47 assists. Senior Kendra Parmenter played extremely well for the Beavers, finishing the match with 20 kills, five digs and three aces. Jenny Brown and MacKenzie McFarlin added 11 and eight kills, respectively. Lauren Weisgarber (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) led the team with 13 digs, while Mohler chipped in eight pickups.
The Beavers will be back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 28 (7:30 PM) when they travel to Mount St. Joseph for another mid-week conference matchup.
-BEAVERS-
