Ehlinger, Wagner lead No. 23-ranked Volleyball to 3-0 sweep of area-rival Bluffton in home opener
September 13, 2023
ADA — The No. 23-ranked Ohio Northern volleyball team opened the home potion of its 2023 schedule with a 25-16, 25-13, 25-16 victory over area-rival Bluffton on Wednesday night at the ONU Sports Center.
The Basics
- Records: #23 Ohio Northern (6-1), Bluffton (3-6)
- Venue: ONU Sports Center - Ada, Ohio
The Match
- Senior Ava Ehlinger (New Carlisle/Tecumseh) led the Polar Bears with 13 kills and hit .579.
- Junior Erin Wagner (Massillon/Perry) added 12 kills in just 15 attacks with a .667 hitting percentage.
- Junior Grace Conrad (Somerset/Sheridan) had 26 assists and 6 digs.
- Junior Rachel Jennings (Novi, Mich.) had a team-best 15 digs.
- ONU hit a blistering .476 with 49 kills, while the Beavers hit .141 with 27 kills.
- The Polar Bears led the entire match, as BU never held a lead in any of the three sets.
- Northern opened the first set on a 4-0 run. The lead was 21-16 when ONU ended the match on a 4-0 run.
- Set 2 saw the hosts break a 1-1 tie with a 9-1 run to take a commanding 10-2 lead.
- Ohio Northern scored the first six points of the third set and emptied the bench the rest of the way.
Notables
- The Polar Bears are 24-1 in their last 25 home openers, dating to 1999.
- ONU remains undefeated against unranked teams in 2023.
- Sophie Windover is now 7-1 in her first season as head coach of the ONU volleyball team.
Up Next
The Polar Bears return to action Friday-Saturday when they host the 44th Annual ONU Invitational at the ONU Sports Center.
