By Tim Stried, SID
October 20, 2002


The Bluffton College volleyball team dropped a non-conference match at Thomas More College on Oct. 16 in the Beavers' only match last week. The Beavers sit alone in fourth place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings with a 2-1 league record, while their overall record sits at 10-17.

Bluffton will put that HCAC ranking on the line Tuesday night at Anderson University, who is just below the Beavers in the league rankings with a 2-2 HCAC slate. BC will travel to the Calvin College (Mich.) Invitational this weekend and will host Franklin College on Tues., Oct. 29 in the Beavers' final home match of the season.

Bluffton is 3-1 at home this season in all matches and 2-1 at home in HCAC matches.

Sophomore Karah Weldy is averaging an HCAC-best .73 service aces per game this season. She has 63 aces in 120 games as Bluffton ranks second in the conference in team aces per game with 2.16.

Several other Bluffton players are ranked high in the league statistics, as well. Sophomore Erin Kreim ranks fifth in digs per game (4.33), while sophomore Kelly Kettinger is eighth in the HCAC in that category with 3.77 dpg. Sophomore Courtney Tisher is eighth in the HCAC in hitting percentage at .247 and junior Erin Cooper is eighth in assists per game with 5.24.

In addition her hitting percentage, Tisher's 251 kills, 2.70 kills per game and 82 total blocks also lead the team.

In the loss at Thomas More last Wednesday, freshman Keri Kuhlman notched three team highs with five kills, three blocks and three service aces, which tied her career high. Kreim collected a team-high 12 digs while Cooper and freshman Leslie Overmyer both had nine assists.