By Tim Stried, SID

First year head coach Sara Wakefield won her collegiate coaching debut last Wednesday as Bluffton College swept Defiance in a three-game match 15-12, 15-9, 15-11 on the Yellow Jacket's home floor.

Seniors Sheryl Cunningham, Edon, Dena Eichelberger, Ashland/Crestview, and Shannon Hedrick, Rootstown/Southeast, led the the charge for BC in the victory. Cunningham recorded six kills and three blocks, Eichelberger collected nine digs and Hedrick totaled 25 assists and four kills. All three seniors also collected at least one service ace on the day. Sophomore Mandy Pequignot, DeGraff/Indian Lake, notched a team-high 13 kills to go with two blocks, while junior Betsy Hook, Wellington, added five kills and a team-high four blocks.

The competition got a little stiffer this past weekend at the Kalamazoo College Hornet Invitational on September third and fourth. Bluffton went 1-3 in the tournament and finished sixth out of eight teams to see their record stand at 2-3 after five matches.

BC dropped their opening match in the tournament to Baldwin-Wallace 6-15, 1-15, 9-15. Pequignot recorded eight kills and five digs, while Cunningham and Eichelberger led the defense with seven blocks and eight digs, respectively. Hedrick dished out 11 assists, Hook had five kills and six blocks and junior Alison Harrer, New Washington/Buckeye Central, came through with four kills and four digs.

Bluffton got back into the win column in the night cap with a three-game shutout over Manchester 15-9, 15-9, 15-8. Sophomore Erica Jellison, Van Wert/Crestview, rang up a team-high 14 assists in the match, while Pequignot recorded team highs with eight kills, nine digs and five blocks. Eichelberger nailed four service aces in the victory.

Saturday competition saw the Beavers suffer defeats to Millikin and John Carroll. Millikin dropped BC in three games, 15-3, 15-11, 15-7. Sophomore Lisa Rathburn, Mansfield/St. Peter, collected 16 digs for BC while Pequignot and Hook both notched five kills. Hook and Cunningham both had seven blocks and Jellison put up 11 assists. John Carroll also took BC in three games, 15-12, 15-9, 15-12. Hook recorded 11 kills and 11 blocks in the match while Rathburn had 12 digs and Hedrick had 19 assists. Junior Beth Weidus, Cleveland/Lutheran West, collected six service aces in the match, as well.

Results of the September 8 match at Bluffton against Ohio Northern were unavailable at press time. BC is at the Baldwin-Wallace Tournament this weekend and will play at Ohio Wesleyan on September 15.

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