September 7, 2018

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University Volleyball Team hosted day one of the 6th annual Sommer Center Spiketacular on a rainy Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. The Beavers matched up with regional powers Thomas More and DePauw on opening night.

Bluffton fell to an undefeated Thomas More (6-0) squad in four sets: 25-16, 26-28, 25-14, 26-24. In the 4th set the Beavers built a 24-19 lead, but stumbled down the stretch in dropping the clincher. Bethany Martini (Pickerington/North) led the home team with 11 spikes, while sophomore Remi Bower (Dreshler/Patrick Henry) and junior Carley Lester (Cheaspeake/Cheaspeake) contributed with nine kills apiece.

Freshman Brooke Kleman (Ottawa/Ottawa Glandorf) set the pace defensively with 15 digs while Martini tallied 12 pickups. Erin Weisgarber (Bolivar/Tuscarawas Valley) helped her teammates with 34 assists.

The Beavers had 40 minutes to recover before facing  off with the Tigers of DePauw in a hard fought battle at 7:20 p.m. Bluffton came out on top in four sets despite falling by 10 points in the lidlifter: 15-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-23. Martini clinched the match with a kill to the back corner thanks to an assist from Weisgarber! Kleman was outstanding, posting a career high with 23 digs! Weisgarber contributed yet another double-double with 36 assists and 19 digs to help lift the Beavers to victory.

Martini and Bower pounded home 15 and 13 kills, respectively, while Martini earned the second double-double with 10 digs. Kleman and sophomore Sarah Heydinger (Tiro, Ohio/Buckeye Central) fired three aces apiece for the victors.

Bluffton improved to 2-4 as the Beavers get ready for Heidelberg at 10 a.m. and Ohio Northern at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, for day two of the Sommer Center Spiketacular.

-BEAVERS-