Volleyball Report (Week 3) - Bluffton Posts Win over No. 12 Ohio Northern

GREENWOOD, IN - Bluffton University (12-3, 0-0 HCAC) walked away with a 3-2 record last week after playing top notch competition.  The Beavers earned a win over No. 12 Ohio Northern before going 2-2 at the Loras College Tournament in Iowa.  

The Beavers defeated No. 12 Ohio Northern in a five set thriller, taking the fifth set 15-11.  The victory snapped a string of 14 straight setbacks to ONU dating back to 1998 and it marked the first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since Coach Yarnell took over at Bluffton.

Junior Jenna Eshleman (Landisville, Penn./Hempfield) pounded 19 kills for a .300 hitting percentage and added 14 digs and four total blocks in the win over the Polar Bears.

BU marked a 2-2 record at the Loras College Tournament, going 1-1 on each day.  Bluffton defeated Bethel (MN) and Luther over the weekend, while falling to Simpson and No. 14 St. Thomas (MN).

Transylvania was a perfect 4-0 at the Transy Invitational to take the title.  The Pioneers posted 3-0 wins over Kenyon, Huntingdon, Albion, and Sewanee to improve their overall record to 10-3 this season.

Senior Jordan Geisen (Florence, Ky./St. Henry) was named MVP of the tournament,  leading the Pioneers with 41 kills with a .333 attack percentage and 4 aces.

Rose-Hulman suffered their first defeats of the 2010 season, finishing 1-3 at the DePauw Invitational.  The Engineers (10-3, 0-0 HCAC) faced the No. 1 and 2 teams in the nation on Friday, falling to Juniata 3-0 and Washington-St. Louis 3-0.  After a 3-0 defeat to Haverford on Saturday, Rose rebounded to defeat Marietta 3-0.

Freshman Casey Levitt (Thousand Oaks, Cali./Westlake) led RHIT in kills during the first three matches at DePauw, finishing with 25 kills, 36 digs, and four aces.

The 2010 HCAC volleyball conference schedule begins tonight as Anderson travels to Franklin.  Three more conference tilts will take place tomorrow evening.

For a complete recap of Week 3 in HCAC Volleyball, click here