By: Colton Steiner
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton Beaver women's basketball squad is ready to bounce back into action as the 2025-26 season is just around the corner. Despite losing contributors to graduation, the Beavers return several core players from last season and they will look to improve on their 11-15 season and 5-13 finish in the HCAC.
Although the Beavers no longer have the services of Kayla Prigge, who had 79 career starts on her resume, and Lindsey Smith, with 34 career starts, Bluffton has several players who will look to play bigger roles in the upcoming campaign.
After making a massive jump in production last season, going from 0.6 PPG and 0.4 RPG in 23-24 to 15.0 PPG and 7.6 RPG, Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) eyes to build on her game even more this season. The HCAC Honorable Mention selection led the team in scoring, ranked second in rebounding, and also led Bluffton in assists, dishing out 2.3 dimes per game. She shot a team-high 83.1 percent from the charity stripe and 41.2 percent from the field in her 2024-25 campaign.
Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) averaged 8.9 points a game while shooting at a 38.5 percent clip. She also brings with her 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Fellow senior Katie Sims (Perrysburg) will look to add a spark to the Beaver offense. Sims is coming off a season where she averaged 2.1 points per game.
Junior Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) returns to the hardcourt for the Beavers after starting in all 26 games last season. She bucketed 8.1 points a game and grabbed 3.2 boards while dishing out 2.3 assists per contest.
Alexis Stevely (Marion/Wynford), Jessica Moore (Marion/Wynford) and Erin Schaufelberger (Van Wert) return for their junior campaigns, all looking to see more action. Stevely scored a career-high 14 points against Heidelberg, hitting 3-of-4 shots from downtown. After starting two games last season, Mackenzea Townsend (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) eyes to build on her freshman campaign when she averaged 3.2 points per game and snagged 2.9 RPG in her 10.3 minutes of action.
The 2025-26 season tips off on Friday, Nov. 7, with the home opener when the women face off against Olivet at 7 p.m. HCAC competition opens up on Wednesday, Dec. 3, when the Beavers travel south to go head-to-head with Mount St. Joseph. The last home contest for Bluffton will be on Saturday, Feb. 14, in a men's and women's double header against Rose-Hulman, starting at 1 p.m. The regular season comes to an end on Wednesday, Feb. 18 when the Beavers hit the road to face off against Anderson (Ind.).
-BEAVERS-