SANDUSKY, Ohio - The Bluffton University volleyball team battled perennial-power Heidelberg, dropping the Saturday opener in four sets, before cleaning house with a sweep of St. Mary's College in the 2 p.m. match. The Beavers stand 1-3 after playing a brutal schedule at Cedar Point on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2.

Bluffton and Heidelberg went back and forth while splitting sets two and three, but the Student Princes opened with a 25-15 victory and closed it out 25-13 en route to the four-set win.

Jenna Woods (DeGraff/Riverside) hammered home a match-high 13 kills, while Chloei Barnett (Wapakoneta) and Chloe Sample (Springfield/Catholic Central) chimed in with eight and seven winners, respectively. Freshman Kasey Sager (Troy) added six spikes and hit .267 for the match.

Ella Taylor (Urbana) directed the offense with 17 assists and Mallory Fluharty (Wooster) added 11 helpers.

Freshman Abby Lawhorn led the way with 24 digs for the Beavers. Sophomore Emma Organ (Lambertville, MI/St. Ursula Academy) followed with 13 pickups. Taylor and Sample were also in double figures with 12 and 11, respectively. Lawhorn also fired four aces at the Student Princes.

Match number two of the day and four of the weekend saw the Beavers roll through St. Mary's College with a convincing sweep of the Belles from Indiana. Sample sparkled with 12 kills and just two errors for a red-hot .417 hitting percentage. Woods was back in double figures as well with 10 kills.

Taylor and Fluharty doled out 18 and 11 assists, respectively. Lawhorn was all over the place with 21 digs, nearly half of Bluffton's 43 pickups! Taylor fired five aces, while Sample and Lawhorn contributed with three apiece.

Bluffton will be in the Sommer Center for its home opener with Kenyon College on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.

-BEAVERS-