September 18, 2006
GOSHEN, Ind. - The Bluffton University volleyball (5-10) traveled to Goshen College on September 15-16 for the Maple Leaf Invitational and struggled as the Beavers finished the weekend with a 0-4 mark. Bluffton pushed Taylor-Ft. Wayne to five sets before falling, 15-13, in the clincher. Conference rival Anderson University kept the Beavers winless on day one of the tournament with a four-set victory in the nightcap. Tournament host Goshen College picked up its fist win of the 2006 campaign with a competitive victory over Bluffton in the opening match of the day before Tiffin University dispatched the Beavers in a quick straight-set win on Saturday afternoon.
A pair of freshman provided punch at the net in the tournament-opening match against Taylor. MICHELE ROSEN (Harrison/Harrison) and JORDAN SCIFRES (Greenwood, Ind./Lutheran) knocked down 17 and 16 kills respectively. Senior setter BRITTANY SHULTZ (Hudson, Ind./Prairie Heights) tallied 50 assists and three service aces to keep the Beavers in the contest. The back line was led by freshman BRITTANY ROTH (Findlay/Findlay) and senior KATIE MOORE (Bucyrus/Wynford) who picked up 15 and 14 digs for Bluffton. Scifres and CHELSEA WYSE (Archbold/Archbold) also recorded double-digit digs against Taylor.
In the nightcap against Anderson, Rosen again paced the Beavers at the net with 12 kills. Junior RACHEL ALVAREZ (Convoy/Crestview) also tallied 12 spikes against the Ravens while hitting a team-high .345 for the match. Roth and Wyse finished the match with 14 and 11 digs respectively. Shultz powered the offense with 30 assists and connected on three service aces.
Junior KALLA AESCHLIMAN (Wauseon/Wauseon) was a force in the Goshen match as she pounded 16 kills to lead the Beavers up front. Shultz continued her stellar play with four aces and 33 assists in the four-set loss. Roth and Wyse made their presence felt defensively with 19 and 15 kills respectively. Scifres also did her part from the back row with 10 digs.
Without the services of Rosen, who was forced to miss Saturday's action following an injury sustained Friday night, the Beavers were overmatched against a strong Tiffin University squad. Aeschliman tallied eight kills while Roth cleaned up from the back line with 22 digs, nearly half of the Bluffton total for the match.
Brittany Shultz was named to the All-Tournament team for her efforts at the Maple Leaf Invitational. She ended the weekend with 134 assists, 10 service aces, 17 kills and 25 digs.
The Bluffton volleyball team returns to action on Tuesday, September 19, when it travels to Otterbein to face the Cardinals. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.