By Samantha Granger, sports information assistant
HANOVER, Ind. - For the fourth straight season the Bluffton University volleyball team earned the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship when the Beavers took down #1 seed and tourney host Hanover College in a hard-fought four sets (25-23, 23-25, 25-23, and 25-17) on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016. The Panthers (25-8) may have won the battle last week in the regular season finale for Bluffton, but the Beavers (23-8) would not be denied with the NCAA automatic berth on the line! It marked the fourth straight season that Bluffton has knocked the Panthers out of the HCAC Tournament, with three of those coming in the championship match.
All four sets were back-and-forth as a couple HCAC heavyweights went toe-to-toe. Senior MACKENZIE MCFARLIN (Ashland) and junior SYDNEY MOHLER (Lima/Central Catholic) were both selected to the All Tournament team, while senior LAUREN WEISGARBER (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) was named the HCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player!
ERIN WEISGARBER (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) directed the offense with 46 assists, 14 digs and four kills. Sister Lauren Weisgarber demolished her previous career-high of 19, set just one night before, with 24 kills and a red-hot .442 hitting percentage, while McFarlin added 12 spikes. Weisgarber was also in on six blocks at the net. Sophomore BETHANY MARTINI (Pickerington/North) knocked down nine kills of her own for the victors.
The Beaver defense was paced by libero Sydney Mohler who finished with a match-high 37 digs, while ABBY ROHRBACH (New Knoxville) chipped in with 14 pickups. BECCA TOURNEY (Columbia City, Ind.) finished with 13 digs for the Beavers.
Bluffton seniors MacKenzie McFarlin and Lauren Weisgarber became the first volleyball players in Bluffton University history to finish their HCAC tournament careers with an unblemished record. They are 9-0 over the past four years with all of those victories on the road!
The Beavers will find out their opponent and venue on Monday at 12:30 p.m. when the NCAA selection show is broadcast via the NCAA Website. Click here to watch the selection show live. Continue to check the Bluffton University Volleyball Schedule Page and Twitter for updates throughout the week.
-BEAVERS-
