Bluffton and Whitko squared off in some playoff action on Thursday, but Bluffton had to settle for second. They fell just short of the Whitko Wildcats by a score of 3-2. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Wildcats apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in October of 2023.
While Bluffton ultimately came up short, they really made Whitko work, particularly in the third set. The final score came out to 18-25, 25-12, 26-24, 23-25, 15-8.
When it comes to explaining why Bluffton lost, don't look at Marly Drayer. Despite the final result, she had 20 digs, three aces, and a kill. That's the most aces Drayer has posted since back in September.
Even though they lost, Bluffton was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 11 aces. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Whitko only served ten.
Whitko found their leader in freshman Meredith Hindbaugh, who had two kills and 56 assists. Hindbaugh has been hot for a while, having posted 14 or more assists the last 13 times she's played.
Bluffton has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-18 record this season. As for Whitko, the win was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 13-16.
Bluffton does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Whitko, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 3-0 loss against South Adams on the 19th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
