December 5, 2014
BLUFFTON, Ohio - To cap off a banner fall that saw the Bluffton University volleyball team make its second straight appearance in the NCAA Regionals, three outstanding athletes earned Heartland Conference Most Valuable Player awards for their respective sports. Jack Fisher (Norwalk/St. Paul) won the HCAC Cross Country championship, MacKenzie McFarlin (Ashland) was voted the Heartland Conference Most Valuable Player for both the regular season and the conference tournament and junior Ryan Aelker (New Bavaria/Holgate) was named the HCAC Defensive Player of the Year.
With Bluffton in the process of hiring a full-time women's soccer coach to go along with a full-time men's soccer coach, the future looks bright following a fall in which three individuals took home top honors in the HCAC. The three Most Valuable Player awards are the most ever for Bluffton in a school year, making their work during the first three months of 2014-15 even more impressive!
On the hilly, challenging course of Earlham College in cold and windy conditions, Fisher left little doubt that he was primed to race in the HCAC Cross Country Championship on November 1. Making himself a member of the lead pack from the gun, Fisher cruised comfortably through the first mile and a half before making a decisive move up the signature hill of the course, gapping the field by several seconds. Through the remainder of the race, Fisher gradually put more distance between himself and his competitors to become Bluffton's first-ever Heartland Conference champion of either gender in a time of 25:51. What makes Fisher's performance even more impressive is his relative novice status as a harrier, with 2014 being only his third season of cross country.
In her second year as a starter on the outside, McFarlin jumped out quickly with 56 kills on the opening weekend as Bluffton went 4-0 against a star-studded field that included Heidelberg, Geneva, Denison and Albion. She was named MVP of the Sommer Center Spiketacular while also nailing down her first of two Heartland Conference Player of the Week awards for the season. Her 412 kills are 10th on the all-time single-season list and it is the third-highest total in the HCAC for 2014. McFarlin fired a team-high 53 aces (1st in the HCAC), while her 3.30 kills per set were 4th in the conference and 9th all-time at Bluffton. Her .278 hitting percentage is 3rd in the HCAC and currently ranks 6th at Bluffton. McFarlin's career 0.41 aces per set is 7th on the all-time list for the Beavers. She proceeded to cap off the HCAC tourney by being named Most Valuable Player for her work at Defiance in a pair of victories. The standout sophomore also chipped in with 184 digs and 31 total blocks for the season.
It marked the second time in six seasons that Bluffton is home to the HCAC Most Valuable Player. Shauna Rowland was the first Beaver to earn that distinction when the junior led Bluffton to a perfect 8-0 conference mark in 2009. Also securing top honors in the conference was Bluffton University Head Volleyball Coach Steve Yarnell who has led the Beavers to the Heartland Conference tournament for seven consecutive season. Bluffton earned its way into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in six years and the second season in a row. It marks the second time (2009) that Yarnell has been tabbed the HCAC Coach of the Year. Bluffton won or shared two regular-season titles and three HCAC tournament titles in the past six years while playing in the HCAC championship game four times during that span.
A season that saw the Bluffton University football team win six of its final seven contests was rewarded by the Heartland Conference coaches when the All-HCAC awards were announced on November 19, 2014. Ryan Aelker became the first player in Bluffton University history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in the HCAC since the Beavers joined the Heartland Conference in 1998. He was one of three Beavers named to the first team, while Bluffton placed four on the second team and five were named honorable mention. Aelker is just the second player from Bluffton to earn MVP honors in the HCAC following Offensive Most Valuable Player Tyson Goings selection in 2000. His work up front helped the Beavers rank second in the HCAC in scoring defense (25.1 PPG) and third in total defense (369.7 YPG).
Aelker was unblockable from his defensive end position, leading NCAA Division III with a Bluffton record 13 sacks this season. His 22 tackles for loss placed him third in the nation and it also toppled Justin Crosier's school record of 19 TFL's set in 2010. Aelker's four forced fumbles tied him for fifth in the nation, just one off the leaders and it also puts him second behind Matt Chiles on Bluffton's all-time list. In addition, Aelker established a new school mark with six quarterback hurries this season. The junior finished the year with 54 tackles (38 solos), 22 TFL's for 109 yards (1st all-time), 13 sacks for 83 yards (1st all-time), six breakups, an interception and two fumble recoveries. He led the HCAC in TFL's, sacks, forced fumbles and was third in fumble recoveries.
With the convincing 44-23 Senior Day victory over Defiance, the Beavers went 6-4 on the season and 6-2 in the HCAC (3rd place) for their most-ever Heartland Conference victories. The win marked the most consecutive victories in the series since Bluffton won six in a row from 1985 through 1990. It also evened the all-time series at 44-44-2! Coach Dorrel, his staff and the 2014 team have much to be proud of as they won six of their last seven games and nearly rattled off seven victories in a row to end the season. The future is bright as Bluffton looks to continue its climb when the 2015 football season kicks off next September at Wilmington!
-BEAVERS-