Volleyball posts 25-8, 25-19, 25-23 victory at area-rival Bluffton as Conrad eclipses 2,000-assist mark

Volleyball posts 25-8, 25-19, 25-23 victory at area-rival Bluffton as Conrad eclipses 2,000-assist mark
September 18, 2024

BLUFFTON — Ohio Northern volleyball team posted a 25-8, 25-19, 25-23 victory at area-rival Bluffton on Wednesday night at the Sommer Center.

The Basics

  • Records: Ohio Northern (6-2 Overall), Bluffton (12-2 Overall).
  • Venue: ONU Sports Center - Ada, Ohio.

Match Highlights

  • Senior Erin Wagner (Massillon/Perry) had a match-high 16 kills with five blocks and hit an impressive .469 for the match.
  • Freshman Summer Hoying (Fort Loramie) chipped in 11 kills and seven digs.
  • Senior Grace Conrad (Somerset/Sheridan) had 26 assists and has now eclipsed the 2,000-dig mark for her career.
  • Senior Rachel Jennings (Novi, Mich.) had a team-leading 17 digs.
  • The Polar Bears set the tone quickly, dominating the opening set and finishing on an 11-0 run to win 25-8.
  • In Set 2, Northern broke an 18-all tie with a 6-0 run to grab a 24-18 lead. ONU trailed 6-1 early, but rallied to tie the match at 12-12.
  • Ohio Northern trailed 17-11 in set three but rallied to tie the set at 21-all. With the set tied at 23, ONU scored the final two points on a kill by senior Ava Ehlinger (New Carlisle/Tecumseh) and a BU hitting error to win the set 25-23 and take the match 3-0.
  • The Polar Bears hit .366 with 47 kills, while the Beavers hit .067 with 35 kills in the match.

Notables

  • Ohio Northern leads the all-time series between the two schools by a 72-13 margin.
  • In her last three matches, Wagner has 45 kills in only 77 attempts and has hit an incredible .558 during that span.
  • Jennings now has 1,673 digs in 87 career matches, and is No. 8 on ONU's all-time top 10 list in that category.
  • Jennings entered the 2024 season ranked eighth nationally in digs among active Division III players.
  • Conrad is eighth on ONU's all-time career assist list with 2,005 in 86 career matches. 
  • Wagner now ranks fifth all-time in ONU's top-10 list for hitting percentage, hitting .322 in 82 career matches.
  • Sophie Windover is now 22-11 in her second season as head coach of the ONU volleyball team.

Up Next

  • The Polar Bears will return to action Saturday in Lexington, Ky., with a pair of matches against No. 24-ranked host Transylvania (Ky.) and Mount Saint Joseph.