NORTH MANCHESTER – A straight-set 25-12, 25-11, 25-19 win over Wright St.-Lake went in Manchester University’s annals Wednesday.
At night’s end, the final outcome wasn’t the headline. Recognizing a pair of student-athletes who have helped lead Manchester University to its first set of back-to-back Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament berths since 2006-07 and 2007-08 was. Outside hitter Courtney Chowning blasted 11 kills and turned in a pair of solo blocks, and setter Heather Racine registered 34 assists and served up four aces in their final appearance on Stan Weller Court honoring Coaches Hoffman and Wolfe at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.
Coach Bryndon Paulsen was able to go his bench early and often in the home regular season finale. With the Black and Gold (15-11) moving out to a 16-6 advantage over the visiting Lakers (2-22) in the opening set; forging a 19-7 margin to begin the second frame; and leading 15-3 to start out the final set, several individuals received court time with strong results. Sophomore middle hitter Emma Voelker turned in five blocks, three of them solo; freshman middle hitter Emily Bailey of Warsaw tallied three kills in four attempts for a stratospheric .750 attack percentage; sophomore right side hitter Haley Duncan delivered seven kills in eight tries for a sparkling .778 effort; and freshman middle hitter Riley Patterson  tallied five kills, hit .571 and served up two aces among the top totals.
MU closes its regular season Saturday, Oct. 29, traveling to Earlham College for a tri-match against the Quakers and Boyce the College at Southern.

Men’s Soccer
Black And Gold Wrap Up Home Slate
NORTH MANCHESTER – A pair of players compiling their first collegiate goals helped lead Manchester University to a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference win Wednesday.
Coach Corey Brueggeman’s squad got out of the gate quickly at Good Field in the Spartan Soccer Complex. Sophomore forward Alex Sanders crashed the Bluffton University net along with fellow sophomore forward Drake DeWitt in the 12th minute with Sanders flicking in the score, off a DeWitt assist, past BU keeper Matt Hardman-Zimmerman to break up a scoreless tie. Another Alex, this one of the Baker brand out of Fort Wayne, Ind., took a beautifully placed free kick to the left of the Beavers’ goal and launched a shot that eluded Hardman-Zimmerman for a 2-0 Spartans’ advantage in the 24th minute.
MU’s offense, led by four shot attempts from sophomore midfielder Nate Johnson out-shot the visitors 16-3. The heightened offensive attack made a winner out of junior net minder Brady Forman, who recorded one save over a 90-minute clean sheet, the fifth of his career.
Manchester University closes the 2016 season on the road Saturday. They take on Earlham College in league action with a 3:30 p.m. start at Matlack Field in Richmond.