November 8, 2008
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University volleyball team moved into the semi-finals of the Heartland Conference tournament by dismantling Hanover College in three sets (25-16, 25-21, 25-16) on Saturday, November 8, 2008. The Beavers avenged a loss at the hands of the fourth-seeded Panthers on Oct. 11 and improved to 21-9 on the season while the defending HCAC champions wrapped up their 2008 campaign with a 12-19 mark. The win was Bluffton's eighth straight and 10th in the last 11 matches.
Freshmen super spikers JENNA ESHLEMAN (Landisville, Penn./Hempfield) and NICOLE WOOD (Tiffin/Hopewell Loudon) once again provided punch at the net, driving home 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Wood finished with just one error on 27 total attacks for a superb .370 hitting percentage. Knocking down eight kills and hitting .333 was freshman CHRISTIANA SINDELAR (Napoleon) who also tallied two block assists. Freshman HEATHER RODMAN(Mansfield/Mansfield Christian) added a solo block and two block assists.
Sophomore setter SHAUNA ROWLAND (Bucyrus/Wynford) picked up her 23 career double-double and 14 of the season with 36 assists and a team-high 13 digs. Junior BRITTANY ROTH (Findlay) and Eshleman chipped in with 12 digs each. Eshleman's 12 digs and 12 kills added up to her 10th double-double of the season. ALLISON STREICHER (Continental) and KAYLA PICKERING(Jamestown/Greenview) both tallied eight digs in the victory over the Panthers. Roth finished the match with a pair of aces from the service line.
The Beavers smoked 44 kills on 115 total attacks for a .278 hitting percentage. In the final set, Bluffton capped off the victory with 17 kills while hitting .350.
Bluffton will now meet no. 1 seed and tournament host Mt. St. Joseph at 7 p.m. in the semi-finals of the HCAC tourney. The winner will tangle with the Defiance-Manchester victor at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9, at Mt. St. Joseph.