Volleyball Report (Week 8) - MSJ Moves One Win Away from Outright HCAC Title
GREENWOOD, IN - Mount St. Joseph's volleyball team moved within one win of their 11th HCAC volleyball crown after a 1-0 mark last week. The Lions (19-7, 8-0 HCAC) defeated Manchester 3-0 on Saturday and can clinch the top seed and outright league title with a win over second place Transylvania (22-6, 6-1 HCAC) tonight.
Senior Jamie Grauvogel (Cleves, Ohio/Harrison) led the way in the win over the Spartans, pounding a team-high nine kills, while also contributing five digs.
Transylvania ran its win streak to eight in a row after earning a 2-0 record in league matches last week. The Pioneers swept Franklin and Earlham during the week to stay alive for a share of the conference crown.
Junior setter Rebecca Luking (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) tallied 36 assists, six aces, four digs, four kills, and a block assist in the Pioneers' sweep of Earlham Friday evening. In a 3-0 sweep of Franklin, Luking added 45 assists, five aces, five digs, two kills, and one block assist.
Transy can earn the top seed in next week's HCAC tournament with wins over Mount St. Joseph and Manchester this week.
Bluffton improved to 5-2 in HCAC action with a 3-0 win over Rose-Hulman Saturday. The Beavers (19-6, 5-2 HCAC) also defeated Wilmington 3-0 in a non-league match earlier in the week. BU can clinch a spot in the HCAC tournament with a win over Defiance or Franklin this week.
Rose-Hulman, Hanover, and Anderson all sit with 4-4 league marks after last week's action.
The Engineers (16-8, 4-4 HCAC) have dropped three straight contests after falling on the road against Bluffton and Defiance last week. Rose can still lock down a tournament berth with a win over Earlham Wednesday night.
Hanover (16-10, 4-4 HCAC) ran its win streak to three straight with a 3-1 win over Anderson Friday evening. The Panthers finish the conference schedule Wednesday night at rival Franklin and can earn a spot in the six-team HCAC field with a win.
Anderson finished the week with a 1-1 record in conference contests. The Ravens (12-11, 4-4 HCAC) defeated Defiance 3-1 before dropping a 3-1 decision to Hanover. AU will face Manchester in a crucial match Wednesday evening. A win will put the Ravens into the tournament field, while a loss could leave the squad on the outside looking in.
For a complete recap of Week 8 in HCAC Volleyball, click here
