Mitchell's Run of Strong Performances Continues at Bluffton

BLUFFTON, Ohio – Junior Amelia Mitchell's hot stretch continued on Wednesday evening at Bluffton University, and it was the leading effort for The College of Wooster volleyball team in a 25-21, 26-24, 25-16 loss to the host Beavers at the Sommer Center.

Mitchell logged a fourth match this fall with at least 10 kills and added five blocks, with that marking the fourth time with at least a quintet. The junior hit .421 with just two errors on a 10-kill, 19-attempt line, and she is hitting .530 over Wooster's (6-5) last three matches with 30 kills and just four attack errors during that stretch. The junior was involved in five of Wooster's six blocks on the night and upped the season average to just shy of one per set with the standout performance.

Mitchell carried Wooster in set one, recording five of the 13 points that were directly produced by the Fighting Scots. Four of those came on kills, while the junior was credited with two block assists in the frame. First-year Jordan Laraway was the other big contributor with 2.5 points, with 1.5 coming on blocks, including a solo swat on an Chloei Barnett that had Wooster within 23-16. Laraway's block came during a 4-0 stretch from Wooster that had the score within 23-18, and the Scots were within four late on Mitchell's fourth kill of the frame.

It was the Mitchell and junior Tamara Turner show in the second set, with the duo combining for nine kills on 19 swings. Turner added five digs and six error-free serve receptions in the frame. Kills from three different Scots came in the middle of Wooster's 6-0 run, during which Turner logged a pair of kills. Senior Troy Johnson's kill had Wooster ahead 21-17, but Bluffton rallied back with a 9-3 stretch to take the set.

Bluffton's Abby Lawhorn's tough serving was the difference in the third set. The Beavers' defensive specialist served up three straight aces as part of Bluffton's 11-2 run. Prior to that scoring spree, Wooster was within 12-11 when Mitchell denied Paige Massie with the junior's lone solo block of the night.

Turner followed Mitchell with eight kills, and the junior's 10 digs were tops on the team. First-year Emma Fleck and senior Ty Thompson logged nine assists each.

Kelly Armentrout's 11 digs were the match high. Lawhorn finished with six aces. The Beavers dug in on serve receive, successfully keeping alive 55-of-58 receptions for a near-95-percent clip, and Bluffton had a 56 percent success rate on sideout chances.

Next, Wooster opens North Coast Athletic Conference play against Hiram College (4-9, 0-0 NCAC) at noon on Saturday, September 23. The match takes place at Wooster's Timken Gymnasium.