BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College volleyball team swept a pair of matches today (Saturday, September 4, 2010) and won the Kalamazoo College Hornet Classic in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Yellow Jackets are now 4-2 overall and return home and be back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 8 when they travel to Oberlin, Ohio to play Oberlin College in the Phillips Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m. In addition, the four wins so far this season are just one win shy of last season's total wins.
In today's first match, B-W defeated Franklin (Ind.) College, 3-1, and by the scores of 25-7, 25-14, 15-25 and 25-9. The Yellow Jackets then came back from a 2-1 deficit to claim a 3-2 victory against Olivet (Mich.) College in the nightcap and by the scores of 25-22, 15-25, 18-25, 25-18 and 15-9.
In the win versus Franklin, the front line was led by sophomore Rachel Switalski (North Royalton/ Parma Heights Holy Name) with 12 kills and 15 blocks, including 12 block assists. In addition, freshman Colleen Bonacci (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) had eight kills and a then school-record 18 blocks, including 16 block assists, freshman Taylor Burns (Tiffin/ St. Wendelin) had seven kills, 10 digs and five blocks, and sophomore Kerianne Sifferlin (Wooster/ Senior) had six kills. Offensively, senior setter Casey Passen (Ashville/ Teays Valley) had a team-high 18 set assists and 10 defensive digs and sophomore setter Jessica Stitts (Eastlake/ North) had 14 set assists and four blocks. Defensively, sophomore libero Natalie Emmons (Ashland/ Senior) had a game-high 11 digs and Burns, Passen and freshman rightside player Shannon Deleur (Olmsted Falls) each had 10.
In the win versus Olivet, Switalski paced the squad with 13 kills, seven digs and 23 block assists. In addition, Bonacci had eight kills and 21 blocks, including 18 assists, and junior outside hitter Chelsea Nissen (Williston/ Genoa) had eight kills, six blocks, five digs and a team-leading three service aces. Offensively, Passen had a team-high 21 set assists and seven defensive digs and Stitts had 13 set assists, seven blocks and three digs. Defensively, Emmons had a game-high 16 digs.
Burns and Emmons were named to the All-Tournament team.
Next Saturday, Sept. 10-11, B-W will host the Annual Marcia French Memorial Tournament in Berea. Matches on Friday are at 4:00 versus Fransiscan University and at 7:00 p.m. versus The College of Wooster. On Saturday, B-W plays at 10:00 a.m. against Earlham (Ind.) College and at 1:00 p.m. versus Oberlin College.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
