LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University volleyball team took the first set and the third set at Transylvania on Saturday, Jan. 30, but the Pioneers rallied for 25-21 and 15-13 victories in the fourth and fifth sets to hand the Beavers their first loss of the season. Transy also took the non-conference matchup in straight sets (25-19, 25-15, 25-19), dropping Bluffton to 9-2 overall and 2-1 in the Heartland Conference.

Senior Remi Bower (Deshler/Patrick Henry) hammered home a match-high 22 kills on a whopping 72 swings in the five-set conference loss. She also added 13 digs and a pair of blocks. Freshman Alysha Like (McComb) tallied eight kills, while Kaylie Campbell (Camden/Preble Shawnee) and Noel Ufferman (Marysville/Fairbanks) added six putaways.

Sophomore Elle Price (Findlay) handed out 36 assists and she equaled Campbell with a team-best five blocks. Price also came up with 10 digs. Like stuffed the Pioneers with four blocks as well. Bower came up with 13 digs, giving her a solid double double. Brooke Kleman (Glandorf/Ottawa-Glandorf) picked up a match-high 21 digs.

Senior Jessica Lovell (Grove City) lit up the home Pioneers with 10 kills against no errors on just 14 swings for a blistering .714 hitting percentage. Price and Ufferman, who led the Beavers with five blocks in match two, handed out 10 and eight assists, respectively.

Becky Siemer (Liberty Center/Lakota East) and Cassidy Posey (Paulding) both tallied three blocks, while Kleman chipped in with five digs.

Bluffton will travel back down Interstate 75 on Tuesday, Feb. 2, when the Beavers take on Mount St. Joseph. First serve from Cincinnati is slated for 6 p.m.

-BEAVERS-