The Bluffton volleyball team lost a five-set nailbiter to visiting Van Buren in the Div. III sectional semifinals Monday evening, October 18.

The Lady Pirates won sets two and four in close battles to force a decisive fifth game. But VB took the first, third and fifth sets to eke out the win.

Bluffton's season record ended up 13-10. Five seniors played their final match for the Pirates in the gut-wrenching 25-12, 30-32, 25-17, 22-25, 15-12 defeat.

VB improved to 17-5 with the tournament victory, their second win over the Pirates in less than a week.

Senior Kylie Stackhouse topped Bluffton with 31 kills. 

Freshman Ayla Grandey knocked down 13 kills and added a pair of blocks.

Senior setter Skyler Scoles passed out 47 assists. Scoles also hammered five kills, came up with seven digs and added a block.

Senior Haelyn Bischoff smacked five kills, served four aces and contributed one block.

Freshman Avery Talavinia led Bluffton with 14 digs, while senior Sophie Bricker mustered 13 digs.

Senior Kylie Monday hustled up 10 digs. Junior Dyllan Worcester came up with seven digs. Olivia Siferd added one block.

Stackhouse, Scoles, Monday, Bischoff and Bricker played their final matches for Bluffton. The Pirate record stood at 9-2 after a seven-match win streak, but they lost eight of their last 12 matches against a tough schedule.

Three Pirates reached big statistical milestones during the season. Stackhouse surpassed 1,000 kills, while Scoles went over 2,000 assists at Ada and Monday passed the 1,000 digs barrier.

With the hard-fought win, the Lady Black Knights advance to the second round at third-seeded Ottawa-Glandorf (15-5) Wednesday, October 20 at 5 p.m. 

The O-G/VB victor advances to the Kalida district semifinals Oct. 25. The district finals are Oct. 27.

Undefeated Liberty-Benton (19-0) is the top seed in the sectional, with Coldwater (18-2) second.