Head Coach Steve Yarnell announces 2011 Volleyball Schedule
January 31, 2011
2011 Volleyball Schedule
Bluffton volleyball fans will point to road matches at defending co-HCAC champions Mt. St. Joseph and Transylvania University as a key to the Beavers title hopes in 2011.
But the September 21 match in Cincinnati and October 14 contest in Lexington are just part of a challenging meat grinder of a schedule for the Beavers next season. Bluffton’s nonconference slate opens with four matches at the Haverford College tournament just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Five teams in attendance at the opening tournament qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2010.
Ohio Northern University will make a return trip to Founders Hall for the Beavers home opener on September 7. Bluffton defeated the then #12 ranked Polar Bears in Ada last year for the school’s first victory over the local area rival since 1998.
The Beavers will then travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to compete in the Marcia French Memorial Invitational. On the docket for the weekend are opponents Thiel College, Johns Hopkins, John Carroll University and host Case Western.
Bluffton will entertain Presidents Athletic Conference defending champions Thomas More College in Founders on September 13. Later that week the Beavers will travel to Springfield, Ohio, to compete in the Great Lakes Regional Challenge hosted by Wittenberg University. Bluffton will play Alma College, defending MIAA co-champions Hope College and defending NCAC champion Wittenberg over the course of the weekend.
The Beavers then kick off HCAC play at Mount St. Joseph on September 21 before competing in the OAC/HCAC tournament at Ohio Northern University on September 23 and 24.
A trip to Manchester College and a home match against Anderson University round out the month of September.
To open up October the Beavers will travel to defending OAC champion Heidelberg University. A home tri-match against Earlham College and Mount Union prepares the Beavers for six matches on the road against Ohio Wesleyan, Transylvania, Hanover, Asbury, Rose-Hulman, and DePauw.
The Beavers will cap off regular season play with home contests against HCAC foes Defiance and Franklin, as well as the College of Wooster.
Coach Yarnell commented “We have prepared a schedule that I hope will prove to challenge a team that is hungry to compete for an HCAC title. In the 2010 season we found ourselves battling for our conference title and landed in all three regional polls. In an effort to strengthen our schedule, we have gone out in search of playing quality competition. While in the process of improving our strength of schedule, this will also prepare us for the rigors of HCAC play.”
-BEAVERS-
