The Northwest Central Conference (NWCC) is pleased to announce that Ridgedale Schools located in Morral will be joining the NWCC as a full member beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. Ridgedale voted to leave the Northern 10 League on October 22nd and was formally voted in as a member of the NWCC at the monthly league meeting on Nov. 11.
League Commissioner Aaron Matthews issued the following statement, “The league was looking to fill the void of losing two quality schools in Lehman Catholic and Riverside after the 2020-2021 school year. There was mutual interest in having Ridgedale join and we were able to get this done in a timely fashion. Elgin Athletic Director Jason Hix was a major component in helping to get this done and we thank him for his service”.
Ridgedale Athletic Director Jessica Parthemore said “Ridgedale is excited for this opportunity for our students to compete within the NWCC. We are looking forward to building relationships and competitive rivalries with the schools, students, and communities within the league.”
Ridgedale will begin membership in the fall of 2021. Fore more information on the Northwest Central Conference (NWCC), please visit nwccsports.com.
COLLEGE
Volleyball
ONU ranked No. 10
ADA — The Ohio Northern volleyball team will head into this week’s NCAA Division III Tournament ranked No. 10 in the 11th weekly American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll on Tuesday.
The Polar Bears (26-5 overall) received 1131 points, 143 more than in the 10th weekly poll when ONU was ranked No. 12.
Ohio Northern was ranked No. 12 last week, was No. 10 in weeks eight and nine and was No. 11 for three consecutive weeks in the sixth, seventh and eighth weekly polls.
Northern was ranked No. 12 in the fifth weekly poll, No. 15 in the fourth poll, No. 16 in the third poll, was No. 21 in the first and second polls and No. 23 in the preseason poll.
Emory (Ga.) remained in first place this week with 1,937 points and 74 first place votes. Chicago (Ill.) is second with 1,846 points and one first place vote and Calvin (Mich.) is third with 1,784 points.
The final AVCA poll of the season will come out on Nov. 26 at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.
The Polar Bears will return to action on Thursday when they face Aurora (Ill.) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Soccer
Beavers honored
BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Bluffton University women’s soccer team place two individuals on the Honorable Mention All-HCAC squad following the 2019 season. Senior Aubrey Bartel (Newton, KS/Newton) and junior Maddie Huffman (Maineville/Little Miami) were honored when the Heartland Conference coaches cast their votes for the top players in the HCAC.
Bartel has been a cornerstone of Bluffton’s defense, starting 44 of the 55 matches in which she played, including all 35 over the past two seasons. She finished her career with one assist which she notched as a junior. Bartel has been in integral part of the campus community while earning HCAC All-Academic honors each year in which she has been eligible.
Taking her game to a new level this year, Huffman led the Beavers with six goals while her 16 points ranked eighth in the Heartland Conference. She moved up into a more offensive position as a junior and the move paid immediate dividends as Huffman blasted away with a team-high 53 shots. She has started 50 of 52 matches as a Beaver and was a member of the Bluffton women’s basketball team as a freshman and sophomore.
Bluffton (6-10-2 and 3-4-2 HCAC) forged its best mark in the Heartland Conference since 2011 when the Beavers went 5-3-1 and played in the HCAC championship game. The women ended their season with the best Bluffton record since 2015 when they went 7-11.
