BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University volleyball program will look to reload after a 13th straight trip to the Heartland Conference and its seventh semi-final appearance in the past eight years. The Beavers won four straight HCAC tournament titles from 2013 through 2016 and they remained in the upper echelon of the conference the past four years thanks to 2020-21 HCAC Player of the Year Remi Bower who led the nation in aces (40) and was 2nd in the NCAA Division 3 with her 259 kills.
Head Coach Steve Yarnell is embarking on year 17 at the helm, having 11 appearances in the conference semi-finals and five HCAC tournament titles on his resume. He has mentored two AVCA All-Americans, two Academic All-Americans and five Heartland Conference Players of the Year while earning HCAC Coach of the Year awards in 2009 and 2014!
Back for her fourth year in the libero jersey is senior Brooke Kleman (Glandorf/Ottawa-Glandorf) who capped off her junior campaign with a third straight All-HCAC Honorable Mention award. The 2018 HCAC Freshman of the Year led the conference with 284 digs, bringing her career tally to 1,296. She is just outside the top 15 for career digs and is on pace to finish in the top five when the dust settles this fall.
Junior Kaylie Campbell (Preble/Shawnee) took home her first piece of All-HCAC hardware after the unique 2020-21 volleyball season that was played concurrently with men's and women's basketball in January and February when the conference made adjustments due to COVID-19. The talented middle and right side hitter was second on the Beavers with 132 kills and 59 blocks. Her 172.5 points were also second on the team. Campbell's consistency was a critical piece of Bluffton's success as the Beavers went 9-0 to start the season.
Cassidy Posey (Paulding) pounded 113 kills and she tallied 38 blocks in the shortened spring season. Fellow senior Kia Rainey (Adrian, MI/Madison) and junior Caitlyn Renner (Cairo/Bath) give Bluffton experience at defensive specialist. Cassie Mladek (Coshocton, Ohio/Ridgewood) added 80 kills for the Beavers as a junior.
Elle Price (Findlay) led the Beavers with 363 assists and she showed her versatility with 123 digs. Price helped herself with 57 kills on a solid .247 hitting percentage. Fellow junior Maddie White (Ashland) dished out 146 assists in the fall and was in on 23 blocks while picking up 51 digs in 2020. Also seeing action at setter in the spring was Lindsay Shaw (Findlay/Van Buren) who doled out 87 assists.
Courtney Weekley (Butler/Clear Fork) returns with her 138 digs which was the fourth-highest total last season. 2020-21 freshman Alysha Like (McComb) battled injury in the spring but still led the Beavers with 63 blocks and her 125 kills were third, behind All-HCAC selections Bower and Campbell.
Bluffton kicks off the 2021 fall campaign with a week full of volleyball in the Sommer Center. Kenyon is in town on Wednesday, Sept. 1 with Spiketacular to follow on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 3-4. The Heartland Conference slate tips on Saturday, Oct. 2, when Transylvania and Trine are in Bluffton for a tri-match. The Beavers host rival Defiance College on Wednesday, Oct. 27 before the regular season concludes with a trip to Earlham three days later.
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