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Box Score 2 Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania volleyball team completed its first week of the season a perfect 4-for-4 with a doubleheader sweep of the Bluffton University Beavers on Saturday afternoon at the Beck Center.
After opening the season on Wednesday night with a pair of three-set victories over Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Earlham College, the Pioneers gritted out a thrilling five-set win over Bluffton in the conference-designated contest to start up Saturday afternoon before dominating the Beavers in a three-set victory in the nightcap to move to 4-0 on the early 2020-21 season.
Saturday's marathon was highlighted by the 18-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13 thriller secured by the Pioneers. Transylvania dug out of numerous holes, including an 11-9 deficit in the fifth and deciding set before coming through in the clutch to move to 2-0 in HCAC play.
Bluffton dropped to 9-2 overall and suffered its first loss of the season in conference play to fall to 2-1 in the HCAC.
The Beavers struck first on Saturday, showing off their precision to grab a 25-18 win over the Pioneers behind a .379 hitting percentage against Transylvania's .176 hitting percentage. Transylvania swung the pendulum in set two with a 25-19 win and held the Beavers to a .000 hitting percentage in the set.
Bluffton scored four straight points to expand upon an 18-17 lead in the third set to seize a 25-22 win and a 2 set to 1 lead heading into the fourth set. The Pioneers responded with an inspired effort, breaking a 15-all tie with kills from Suzanne Klosterman and Sylvie Miller to forge a slim but permanent lead in the fourth set. Karrington Jackson and Klosterman later came up with consecutive kills for a 22-19 Transy lead and forced a fifth set with a 25-21 victory.
Bluffton issued the first challenge in the deciding set with early leads of 2-1 and 4-2 but the Pioneers reeled off four straight points as Jackson delivered an ace to push the Pioneers ahead 6-4. Bluffton swung back for a 8-7 advantage as the teams found themselves knotted up at 9 points apiece three rallies later.
The Beavers began to hone in on victory as the Pioneers committed two straight errors for an 11-9 Bluffton advantage, but the home team showed its resolve with a clutch team finish.
The Pioneers received kills from Madison Sweeney and Klosterman to tie up the game at 11-11, and Bluffton followed with an error while Sweeney powered home another kill to turn the lead towards Transy at 13-11.
Bluffton battled back to tie the match one more time at 13-all, but the Pioneers wrote the final scene as Jackson delivered one last kill and teamed with Miller for a match-sealing block at the net, giving the Pioneers a decisive win.
Sweeney led the way with 21 kills while Jackson and Klosterman each added 12. Ward put up a season-high 51 assists in the five-setter while Ava Beltsos led the defensive stand with 20 digs; Miller chimed in with 18 digs while Kailey Campbell added 17.
The momentum from the opening-match finish carried into the second match of the night as the Pioneers put away Bluffton 25-19, 25-15, 25-19. Transylvania roared to a 16-7 lead in the first set to go up early and mustered a pivotal .429 hitting percentage in the second set.
Transylvania totaled 42 kills to Bluffton's 28 in the nightcap as Erin Nerland paced the Pioneers with 12 kills. Ward led the Pioneers in match two with 32 assists.
Transylvania continues the season on Tuesday, February 2 in Hanover, Indiana as the Pioneers square off with the Hanover College Panthers in their first road tussles of the season. The HCAC doubleheader is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. from Collier Arena.
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