The Bluffton University volleyball team persevered through a fractured fall, going 5-0 thanks to a pair of wins at Manchester University on Sunday, Oct. 25.
The fall season is now complete for a Beaver squad that will tackle the Heartland Conference starting in January as part of a modified schedule that will see Bluffton play nine doubleheaders against all of its conference foes.
Senior Remi Bower (Deshler/Patrick Henry) was dominant in the opening match on Sunday, ramming home 14 kills against just three errors for a .367 hitting percentage. She also topped the Beavers with eight digs. Junior Maddie White (Ashland) directed the offense with 18 assists and she picked up six digs for the victors. Freshman Alysha Like (McComb) added six kills in the first match. White and Like led the servers with four and three aces, respectively.
White and Courtney Weekley (Butler/Clear Fork) picked up six digs apiece, while White and Kaylie Campbell (Camden/Preble Shawnee) both stuffed the Spartans with four blocks. Bluffton took match one 3-0 with scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-16. The visitors followed that up with a 3-1 victory in match two (25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-14).
Campbell powered home eight kills on just 12 swings for a .500 hitting percentage in the second match of the afternoon. Like followed with seven kills and four block assists, while Cassie Mladek (Coshocton/Ridgewood) and Elle Price (Findlay) chipped in with six winners apiece.
Kia Rainey (Adrian, MI/Madison) led the defense with 11 digs. Kleman and Bower came up with eight and seven digs, respectively. White and Price doled out 16 and nine assists for the Beavers. Rainey and Lindsey Shaw (Findlay/Van Buren) fired three aces apiece.
The Heartland Conference portion of the schedule will tip on Friday, Jan. 22, when the Beavers welcome Earlham College for a doubleheader that starts at 6 p.m. in the Sommer Center.
