By: Colton Steiner
St. Louis, MO - The Bluffton Beavers would take part in the WashU Bear Invite and go up against the hosts, the Washington (Mo.) Bears who were ranked no. 11 nationally in the preseason poll, and the Bearcats of Willamette University. The Beavers would get out to a quick start in the first set but would then hit a wall as the Bears would go on to win in three straight sets, handing Bluffton the loss. It would be a different outcome for game two as Bluffton would find their footing and knock off the Willamette Bearcats 3-1. The Beavers now sit at a record of 2-2 to begin their season.
Bluffton would open up the day against the Bears by going up 8-1 after back-to-back attack errors from the Bear. Despite leading the contest 17-12, Washington would find their ground and go on a 7-1 run to take their first lead of the set, going up 19-18. They wouldn't look back and go on to win set one 25-23. The Beavers did manage to put down three service aces and 11 kills, but were held back by nine attack errors. Washington would jump out in front to start the second set by going up 12-4 and would hold their lead for the rest of the set, taking it 25-18. The Bears were solid at the net, edging out Bluffton in total blocks for the set, 5-4, and in total kills with a 10-5 advantage. The Beavers would regain their composure in set three, keeping it close and tying the game up at 9-9 after an ace from Ella McCombs (Springfield, Ohio / Southeastern). Despite keeping it close at 14-14, the hosts would get hot, going on a 6-0 run to take a 20-14 advantage late in the set. With their backs against the wall, Bluffton managed to mount a late comeback and bring the score within two after Jenna Woods (DeGraff, Ohio / Riverside) smacked down a kill to make it 22-20. While they were able to cut the deficit, it would be too late as the Bears would go on to take the set 25-22, giving them a 3-0 victory over the Beavers.
In game one of the day, Bluffton smacked down 29 total kills against Washington with Jenna Woods leading the way with 10 with Madison Brentlinger (Indian Lake) adding 10. Brentlinger also led the team in digs with 13 with three aceswhile Ella Taylor (Urbana) scooped up 11 on the afternoon while also dishing out 13 assists.
To start the second game of the afternoon, Bluffton and Willamette would go back and forth in the first set with neither team taking more than a two point lead. The Bearcats would gain some distance when they would take a 20-15 lead until the Beavers would then answer with a 6-0 run that was capped off with a kill by Kasey Sager (Troy), putting Bluffton up 21-20. With momentum shifting, the Beavers would close out the set with a 25-23 victory. Bluffton was great at the net, smacking down 12 kills and hitting .216 for the set. Set two would open up with Willamette jumping ahead 9-4 until a 5-0 run from the Beavers that featured back-to-back kills from Paige Massie (Alvada) that tied the game up at 9-9. The Bearcats would put a hault to the run and catch fire, closing the set on a 16-5 run to take the second set 25-14. After struggling in the second set of the contest, Bluffton would regain their composure and come out swinging, going up 7-5 after an ace from Ella McCombs. Despite the Bearcats taking an 11-10 lead, the Beavers would respond with a 8-2 run to go up 18-13. Willamette would cut the deficit to one, bringing the score to 18-17, but the Beavers would close out the set on a 7-3 spurt, with Jenna Woods sealing the set with a kill and putting Bluffton up 2-1. The third set would open up with the two teams going back and forth, until a 5-0 run put the Beavers in the drivers seat with a 10-5 lead. After taking the lead, Bluffton didn't look back, cruising to a 25-19 win in the fourth set, and defeating Willamette in a final score of 3-1.
Jenna Woods dominated in the contest, smacking home 14 kills and having a .275 hitting percentage, with Madison Brentlinger right behind her with 10 kills. Dishing out a plethora of assists was Ella Taylor, who tallied 33 in the contest while also striking down three aces. Scooping up 18 digs was Emma Organ (Lambertville, MI / St. Ursula Academy) with Abby Lawhorn (Cable, Ohio / Mechanicsburg) picking up 10 to go along with five aces.
The Beavers would finish the WashU Bear Invite with a record of 2-2 and will travel back home on Sept. 3 when they host Kenyon in their home opener at the Sommer Center on their new and updated hardwood at 7 p.m. Come out and support your Beavers for some Wednesday night volleyball action!
- Beavers-