BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University volleyball team is back in familiar territory, albeit a few months later than normal. The Beavers have punched their ticket for a 13th straight Heartland Conference Tournament and after opening the conference slate with a 2-3 mark, Bluffton rolled off four straight victories to secure the #4 seed. A pair of unbelievable comebacks against Manchester and Frankin have the Beavers into the HCAC tournament semi-finals for the 11th time in 13 seasons.
Only four years removed from Bluffton's string of four straight HCAC tournament championship runs, the Beavers are primed for a return to the top and are just two victories away from a 6th Heartland Conference tournament title. Head Coach Steve Yarnell is capping off year 16 at the helm, having 11 appearances in the conference semi-finals and five HCAC tournament titles on his resume.
Franklin College knocked Transylvania from the ranks of the unbeaten with a sweep of the Pioneers on Tuesday, Feb. 23, bringing the unconventional regular season to a close. The Grizzly victory propelled Franklin to the #3 seed and trip to Mount St. Joseph on Friday night. The Lions secured a three-set victory over Franklin back on January 23 in the Heartland Conference opener for both teams. MSJ won the three sets by a total of seven points as Franklin came up just short, 26-24, 25-22 and 25-23. That victory provided the tie-breaker that sends Franklin to Cincinnati on Friday evening.
Bluffton will return to Lexington for a 6 p.m. matchup with top-seeded Transylvania on Friday, Feb. 26. The Beavers 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.
It was feast or famine for the Beavers in conference action this winter as Bluffton won three five-setters after trailing 2-0 or 2-1, while recording sweeps of Anderson, Defiance and Rose-Hulman. Bluffton has been in tournament mode for the past two weeks as the Beavers needed to run the table in order to have a chance at the HCAC tournament after three straight losses at Transy, MSJ and Hanover dropped Bluffton to 2-3 heading into a Wednesday night home matchup with Manchester.
The Bluffton University volleyball team pulled a rabbit out of its hat on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Trailing two sets to one and down 24-22 in the fourth set, the Beavers rallied for a 27-25 victory and then plastered Manchester 15-4 in the clincher. Bluffton followed that up with an even more improbable win 67 hours later on Senior Day. Franklin led two sets to one and bolted out to a 10-1 lead in the fourth. The visitors still held a commanding 17-10 lead before sophomore Elle Price (Findlay) took her turn at the service line. Two timeouts and 11 serves later, Bluffton led 21-17 and was on its way to set number five! The Grizzlies again appeared ready to cash in with a victory, leading 12-7 in the clincher, but this time it was Courtney Weekley (Butler/Clear Fork) who served Franklin off the court. She fired two aces during her seven-serve trip to the plate, sending the home team to an unfathomable 15-13 win that helped the Beavers move to 4-3 in the HCAC!
Providing the power up front for Bluffton has been senior Remi Bower (Deshler/Patrick Henry) who leads the conference with 3.49 KPS and 38 service aces. She tops her squad with 304.5 total points. Price and Ufferman have combined for over 500 assists, while junior Brooke Kleman (Glandorf/Ottawa-Glandorf) has a team-best 276 digs (4.0 DPS). Freshman Alysha Like (McComb) and Kaylie Campbell (Camden/Preble Shawnee) stuffed their opponents with 61 and 58 blocks, respectively. Price and Kleman have rifled 28 and 26 aces, respectively. Bower earned her second HCAC Player of the Week award on Monday, Feb. 22, following Bluffton's conference sweeps of Defiance and Rose.
A Bluffton victory over a Pioneer squad that claimed the 2020-21 HCAC regular season championship would propel the Beavers into the title game on Sunday at the winner of Franklin-MSJ.
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