By: Samantha Granger, sports information assistant

Stats

HANOVER. Ind. - The Bluffton University volleyball team continued to impress with 25-19 and 25-20 wins in the first two sets before falling 25-16 in set three. Bluffton showed its grit when it claimed the victory, 25-17, in set four over the rival Defiance College Yellow Jackets in the Heartland Conference tournament semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015. Bluffton moves into the championship game against Hanover College, the regular season champion and host, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. Hanover defeated Franklin College in the other semifinal contest, 3-1, prior to the Beaver win.

The offense was directed by ERIN WEISGARBER (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) who dished out 48 assists and chipped in two kills. KENDRA PARMENTER (Grove City) led the spikers with 19 kills and hit .382 for the match. Fellow senior JENNY BROWN (St. Marys/Memorial) followed with 16 kills and an outstanding .400 hitting percentage. Junior MACKENZIE MCFARLIN (Ashland) knocked home 11 kills for the victors.

Sophomore libero SYDNEY MOHLER (Lima/Central Catholic) picked up a team-high 21 digs. LAUREN WEISGARBER (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley)) tallied 12, ABBY ROHRBACH (New Knoxville) added 11 and BECCA TOURNEY (Columbia City, Ind.) chipped in with eight. Rohrbach and Tourney both fired two aces against the Jackets.

Bluffton will now play #1 seed and tournament host Hanover College for the Heartland Conference title and automatic berth in next week's NCAA Regionals. It marks the fifth time in seven seasons that the Beavers have advanced to the HCAC championship game, including tournament wins in 2009, 2013 and 2014. The Sunday afternoon showdown is set for 1 p.m. and it features a re-match of the 2013 finals when Bluffton, as the #6 seed, took down #5 seed Hanover at Defiance!

-BEAVERS-