Sept. 17, 2007

TIFFIN, Ohio - The Bluffton University volleyball team went to five games in its opening match against Marietta College (8-4) on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, before falling to host Heidelberg College in three games during the nightcap. The Beavers fell to 6-6 on the year as they prepare to open Heartland Conference play on Tuesday night at Defiance College.

Leading the Beavers in their five-game loss to Marietta was freshman hitter KAYLA PICKERING (Jamestown/Greenview) who pounded 18 kills with only four errors for a .326 hitting percentage. She picked up 10 digs for her third collegiate double-double. Senior RACHEL ALVAREZ (Convoy/Crestview) drove home 11 kills with only two errors for a .281 hitting percentage. Also racking up double digits in kills against Marietta were sophomore MICHELE ROSEN(Harrison/Harrison) with 14 and freshman SHAUNA ROWLAND(Bucyrus/Wynford) who finished with 11 to go along with her team-high 26 assists.

Junior setter CHELSEA WYSE (Archbold/Archbold) found the Bluffton hitters for 20 assists and she also finished with four service aces. In the back row, sophomore libero BRITTANY ROTH(Findlay/Findlay) tallied 15 digs. Senior KATE BARNETT (North Bloomfield/Lakeview) led the Beavers with five aces while Rowland chipped in four aces as the Beavers fell to the Pioneers in five games (27-30, 30-21, 30-21, 26-30, 15-13).

Bluffton fell to a talented Student Princes (10-1) squad by game scores of 30-16, 30-25, 30-21, in the final match of the day for the Beavers. Alvarez led the Bluffton spikers with seven kills as Rowland took home game-high honors with 15 assists and three service aces. Pickering paced the Bluffton defense with 17 digs to go along with her six kills and two solo blocks.

The Beavers travel to Defiance College on Tuesday, Sept. 18, for a matchup with the Yellow Jackets in the Heartland Conference opener for the Northwest Ohio rivals. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m.

-BEAVERS-