Volleyball Falls to Bluffton in HCAC Contest

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Defiance College volleyball team fell to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Bluffton University of Wednesday night, 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-17). The loss means the Yellow Jackets will be the six-seed in the HCAC Tournament.

The Yellow Jackets were led by the trio of seniors Marlea Rolander, Jessica Tietje and Chelsea Ludeman, all of whom posted six kills. Rolander added four blocks on the defensive end, while Tietje chipped in three digs. Senior Meghan Hinds provided the Jackets with five kills and three blocks on the night.

The offense was run by freshman setter Alicia Kalik, who ended the match with 22 assists. Defensively, the team was paced by freshman Stephanie Wilson's nine digs. Junior Lindsay McDaniel pitched in seven digs in the effort.

With the loss, Defiance moves to 14-13 overall and 4-4 in the HCAC. Bluffton improves to 18-10 and 6-2.

Defiance will return to action on Saturday, October 29 at HCAC foe Rose-Hulman, where the Jackets will take on the Fightin' Engineers at 12:00 pm and Illinois College immediately following the first match. The two contests will be the final regular season matches for Defiance before the HCAC Quarterfinals on November 1.