By Tim Stried, SID

November 1, 1999

Winning their thirteenth match of the season Saturday at the Calvin College Midwest Invitational in Michigan, the Bluffton College volleyball team will enter the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament on Friday at 5:00 against Franklin College at Anderson University.

BC will enter the HCAC tournament as the #5 seed, with the winner of their first round game taking on the #1 seed Mount St. Joseph squad on Saturday morning. The tournament is single elimination.

The Beavers have faced Franklin twice this season, losing their first meeting in five games and winning their second matchup in four. BC now has an overall record of 13-19 for first year Head Coach Sara Wakefield.

BC is coming off a 1-3 showing in the Calvin Invitational. Bluffton dropped their opening game to Wheaton College, Ill. in five games, 16-14, 9-15, 12-15, 15-10, 9-15. Four Beavers recorded double digit kills, including sophomore Mandy Pequignot with 14, juniors Alison Harrer and Betsy Hook with 13 and senior Shannon Hedrick with 11. Harrer also added 21 digs, while senior Dena Eichelberger led the team in that statistic with 23. Sophomore Erica Jellison had 34 assists.

In the Friday nightcap, BC fell to tournament runner-up and host Calvin College in three games, 5-15, 6-15, 7-15. Hedrick led Bluffton with seven kills, while Eichelberger had 10 digs, senior Sheryl Cunningham added three blocks and Jellison put up 20 assists.

The Beavers got things started on Saturday with a three game victory over Manchester College, 15-11, 15-10, 15-7. Pequignot contributed 10 kills and nine digs, while Eichelberger had 16 digs and two service aces. Junior Beth Weidus recorded three kills, eight digs and four service aces. Hook and Cunningham had four blocks apiece, while Hedrick led the squad in assists with 14.

BC closed out the tournament with a four game loss to Hanover, 10-15, 6-15, 15-7, 3-15. Pequignot and Cunningham led the Beavers in kills with 12 and 11, respectively, while four players had double digit digs, including Eichelberger, Harrer and Jellison with 18 each. Hook added five blocks and Jellison had 24 assists.