By Tim Stried, SID

October 11, 1999

The Bluffton College volleyball team will play their final three home matches of the season next week, two of which are important league matches in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. BC is tied with four other HCAC teams still looking for their first conference victory, although the Beavers have the fourth best overall record in the conference at 9-12.

Last Saturday BC took the Founders Hall court for their first action in over a week and a half. Their opponent was the 17-2 Mount St. Joseph Lions, ranked #1 in the HCAC and #7 in the latest AVCA national poll. The Beavers looked to pull off a Parent's Day upset, winning the first game 15-12. The Lions, however, came back to win three straight games 3-15, 4-15, 6-15 to win the match.

Junior Betsy Hook led BC in kills with six, while senior Shannon Hedrick and sophomore Mandy Pequignot both notched five kills each. Junior Alison Harrer recorded 10 digs, while sophomore Erica Jellison tallied 21 assists.

The Beavers will be at Franklin College Saturday, while the upcoming home matches include Tuesday, October 19 vs. Anderson University, Wednesday, October 20 vs. Adrian College and Saturday, October 23 vs. Hanover College. BC was to have played at Denison University on Tuesday, October 12.

Pequignot has recorded a team high 190 kills so far in 1999, while Hook is second with 143, Harrer third with 136 and senior Sheryl Cunningham fourth with 129. Jellison has 412 assists to lead BC and is tied with junior Beth Weidus for the team lead in service aces with 24. Senior Dena Eichelberger has a team high 230 digs, while Hook has a team high 77 blocks.