By Caleb Scott
BEREA — Sophomore Chelsea Huppert (Bremen, Ind.) was named to the All-Tournament Team as the No. 22-ranked Ohio Northern volleyball team swept Defiance, before defeating area-rival Bluffton 3-1 on the final day of the OAC/HCAC Challenge at the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
The Polar Bears improve to 14-3 overall, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 5-7 and the Beavers drop to 8-8.
Huppert led Northern offensively with 28 kills, while sophomore McKenna Jordan (Toledo/St. Ursula) and and senior Haley Potters (Wheelersburg/South Webster) chipped in 20 kills each.
Freshman Katie Wade (Battle Creek, Mich./Harper Creek) recorded 75 assists in the two contests.
After taking an early lead in the first set, Northern would see its lead shrink to 21-20.
From there Northern would score four of the next seven points to seal the set one victory.
ONU wasted no time taking control of the second set as they jumped out to a 10-3 lead, forcing a DC timeout.
After Defiance closed the gap to 18-11, ONU would close the set out on a 7-4 run as Wade sealed the set two victory with a kill.
ONU would grab a 10-4 lead in the third set, forcing a DC timeout.
Northern would go onto win the final set 25-15.
In the second contest of the afternoon, ONU jumped a to a 2-0 lead after the first sets.
Bluffton was able to find life in the third set, as they won 25-18.
In the final set, Northern jumped out to a 4-1 lead behind two kills from Jordan.
After BU closed the gap to 4-3, a 6-0 run would push the lead to 10-3.
ONU would see its lead grow to as many as 22-12, before taking the set 25-15 and sealing the victory.
Northern returns to action Tuesday evening as it travels to Denison to take on the Big Red at 7 pm.
