DEFIANCE, Ohio - If the Bluffton University volleyball team was bowling it would have earned the triplicate patch for a sweep of rival Defiance by identical 25-22 scores in all three sets! Bluffton improved to 16-9 and 4-4 in the Heartland Conference. Defiance fell to 3-19 overall and 0-8 in the HCAC.

Freshman Jenna Woods (DeGraff/Riverside) put the hammer down on Wednesday night, smashing 12 kills in just three sets with a red-hot .375 hitting percentage. Also swatting the pesky Yellow Jackets was senior Alysha Like (McComb) who hit .368 with nine kills against just two errors. Kaylie Campbell (Camden/Preble Shawnee) added nine kills and sophomore Chloei Barnett (Wapakoneta) finished with seven putaways.

Maddie White (Ashland) doled out 30 assists and she tacked on 10 digs for a double double. Courtney Weekley (Butler/Clear Fork) picked up a team-high 11 digs, while Emma Organ (Lambertville, MI/St. Ursula Academy) and Lindsey Shaw (Findlay/Van Buren) added eight digs apiece.

Weekley and White both fired two aces, and Campbell stuffed the Jackets with two solo blocks.

Bluffton will look to clinch an HCAC tournament berth and potentially a home match on Saturday, Oct. 29, when the Beavers welcome Earlham College for Senior Night at 7 p.m. in the Sommer Center, capping an exciting day of athletics at Bluffton University! The HCAC Cross Country Championship is slated for noon at the Nature Preserve before the men's soccer team hosts its first-ever HCAC tournament game at the Sears Compex, kicking off at 3:30 p.m.

-BEAVERS-