Ranked 9th in Div. V 

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON __ The Bluffton High School volleyball team received the top seed at the seven-team Div. V Northwest 2 sectional at Miller City.

The Pirate team is ranked ninth in the MaxPreps Div. V Ohio polls. 

Bluffton (19-3) received a first round bye and will play the winner between third-seeded Sherwood Fairview (17-5) and seventh seed Fostoria (2-20). That match takes place on Tuesday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. in the semifinals at Miller City.

The winner of that semifinal advances to the district finals Thursday, Oct. 24 in Miller City at 6:00 p.m.

The Fairview Apaches finished second in the Green Meadows Conference at 6-1, behind only undefeated league champion Defiance Tinora (22-0, 7-0 GMC). 

State-ranked Tinora edged Bluffton 25-18, 25-27, 25-15 on Sept. 14 to snap the Pirate 10-match win streak.

The unbeaten Rams also defeated Fairview 28-26, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23 on Sept. 10. Tinora is ranked fifth in Ohio in Div. VI.

Fairview is ranked 27th in the MP Div. V state poll.

Western Buckeye League champion Ottawa-Glandorf (15-7) was seeded second in the lower half of the draw. If form holds by seeding, they would face the Pirate girls in the finals. 

Ottawa-Glandorf hosts sixth seed Elmwood (3-19) in the first round Oct. 17 at 6 p.m.

If the heavily-favored Titans win, they advance to the Miller City semifinals Oct. 22. Ottawa-Glandorf would play the victor of the Oct. 17 quarterfinal match between fourth seed Paulding (10-12) and sixth seed Lima Bath (4-18) in the semis.

O-G is ranked fifth in the state Div. V poll.