October 5, 2016
By: Samantha Granger, sports information assistant

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Beaver volleyball team improved to 14-7 overall and 2-0 in the Heartland Conference as they traveled to the Weaner Center and swept the rival Yellow Jackets on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Defiance suffered its first HCAC loss, dropping to 5-10 and 1-1 in league play. Bluffton's sweep of Defiance puts them one match away from 900 program wins!

The Beavers came out firing on all cylinders in the first set, limiting the Yellow Jackets to only 17 points. Set two was a nail-biter as the Yellow Jackets pushed the Beavers in a 30-28 Bluffton win. The visitors capped it off with a 25-18 win in the clincher for a three-set sweep of rival Defiance College.

Sophomore setter ERIN WEISGARBER (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) kept Bluffton's offense running like a well-oiled machine with 42 assists in just three sets. She also picked up 11 digs for the victors. Junior captain SYDNEY MOHLER (Lima/Central Catholic) and BECCA TOURNEY (Columbia City, Ind.) also reached double figures with 16 and 10 digs, respectively.

MACKENZIE MCFARLIN (Ashland), who has heartily welcomed her return to the outside, topped all attackers with 19 kills and had just four errors for a dandy .326 hitting percentage. Filling up the middle was senior HCAC Player of the Week LAUREN WEISGARBER (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) who ripped nine winners against only one error for a red-hot .400 hitting percentage! Sophomore BETHANY MARTINI (Pickerington/North) racked up 10 kills on the night.

The Beavers will be back in action on Saturday Oct. 8, against Transylvania University in their third conference matchup of the season. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. so come out and cheer on your Beavers in the always cozy Sommer Center!

-BEAVERS-