October 5, 2009

BLUFFTON, Ohio - Junior SHAUNA ROWLAND(Bucyrus/Wynford) has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball Player of the Week. She led the Beavers to a spotless 3-0 mark for the week, including home wins over MSJ and Hanover to open the 2009 Heartland Conference season on Friday and Saturday. Bluffton's three-set demolition of The Mount was the Beavers' first volleyball victory over the Lions since 1990.

After racking up career assist 2,000 against Marietta at the MSJ tournament last Sunday, Rowland dished out 101 more in Bluffton's three wins this week. She tallied six kills with just one error for a .385 hitting percentage, fired two aces and picked up 36 digs. Rowland currently stands fourth on Bluffton's all-time assists leaderboard with 2,132 after passing 2007 graduate Brittany Shultz over the weekend.

Against Hanover on Saturday, Rowland added four of her six block assists for the week. Not only did she ignite Bluffton's speed-of-light offense, but the junior setter came up with 19 digs against MSJ and 13 against Hanover for her eighth and ninth double-doubles of the season.

Bluffton returns to action on Thursday, October 8, when the Beavers host Anderson University in their only match of the week. The contest is slated to start at 7 p.m. in Founders Hall.

-BEAVERS-