Yellow Jackets Drop HCAC Quarterfinal at Bluffton

BLUFFTON, OHIO – The Defiance College Yellow Jackets dropped a straight-set match to the Bluffton University Beavers in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference quarterfinal action on Wednesday night at the Sommer Center at Bluffton University.

The first set started with the Beavers scoring the first three points, before Defiance returned with a 10-4 spurt, wrapped up by a kill from Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta) to take a 10-7 lead. DC held a 13-11 advantage before Bluffton went off for five straight markers to take the lead back, 16-13, before a spike from Emma Seitz (Toledo/Central Catholic) stopped the run. Bluffton scored three more to take the lead to five, 19-14. Bluffton led 22-18 before the Yellow Jackets got consecutive kills by Seitz, an ace from Windau, and a BU error tied the match at 22-22. Bluffton brought the lead to 24-22, but a kill from freshman Morgan Porter (Defiance) made it 24-23. An attack error on DC ended the set, however, as Bluffton took the opener, 25-23.

The Beavers opened up a 9-3 lead to open set number two and never looked back. After a pair of Bluffton errors cut the deficit to 9-5, Bluffton scored nine of the next 11 points to take a commanding 18-7 advantage. The Beavers cruised their way to a 25-14 second set victory to take a two sets to none lead.

The Yellow Jackets kept their fight alive, scoring four straight points to take a 10-6 lead early in the third. Defiance held a four-point lead at 13-9 before the Beavers stormed back for four straight points to tie the match at 13-13. The match was still tied at 16 when back-to-back kills by Porter was followed by a Bluffton error to give the Yellow Jackets a 19-16 edge. Bluffton scored two straight points but the run was briefly stopped by a Jessi Davis (Delta) kill. Bluffton added five of the next six points to take control of the match, leading 23-21. Kills by Jenni Davis (Delta) and Windau were sandwiched between a Bluffton kill as Bluffton held a 24-23 lead, but the Beavers finished with a kill by Bethan Martini to take the set, 25-23, to finish the sweep.

The Yellow Jacket offense was by Seitz, who finished the match with 10 kills to go along with her season-high seven blocks. Sophomore Abigail Cronin (Lambertville, Mich./Cardinal Stritch) finished the match with assists while Madison Hollis (Burlington, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) added 11 dimes.

Porter led the DC defense with 20 digs, while Windau added 18 and Jaidyn Patridge (Toledo/Springfield) finished the match with 16 pickups. Seitz led the front row with seven blocks, while Jessi Davis finished with five and Brooke Plummer (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) finished with three stuffs.

With the loss, the Yellow Jackets finish the season with a 10-13 mark.