Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Wednesday, October 21 saw three sports in action for Manchester. Volleyball traveled to Bluffton to take on the Beavers, Women's Soccer headed south to take on Franklin, and Men's Soccer had a date with Franklin under the lights of Spartan Stadium.

BLUFFTON, Ohio — Manchester (8-7, 3-1 HCAC) won 3-0 over Bluffton (10-12, 1-3 HCAC) on Wednesday at Sommer Center. Manchester hit .207 with 41 kills and held Bluffton to a .084 hitting percentage in the sweep.

Manchester first changed the opening set with a 6-0 run, moving from a 12-10 deficit to a 16-12 lead. The serving game showed up again in the second set, when Manchester strung together six straight service points during a 7-0 run that took a 4-1 advantage to 11-1. Bluffton had another late lead in the third set, but Manchester closed that set with five straight points after trailing 22-20 and reached set point at 24-22 during the finish.

Manchester totaled 41 kills on a .207 hitting percentage while holding Bluffton to 33 kills and a .084 hitting mark. Manchester also had advantages in digs, 56-51, service aces, 6-3, and total blocks, 8-6. Alicia Simmons finished with 18 kills, hit .349 and scored 19.0 points, while Morgan Howard directed the offense with 32 assists.

Manchester turned a 12-10 deficit into a 16-12 lead with a six-point run, with Haddi Hile serving through five straight points and Delaeni Hixson and Simmons supplying kills during the surge. Earlier, Manchester opened the set with a kill by Simmons from Howard, a Hile ace and a Bluffton attack error, but Bluffton worked back and moved ahead before Manchester answered. Bluffton later tied the set at 16-16, and Manchester responded with kills from Hixson, Kyana Martinez and Lily Lichtenbarger to move back in front. Izzy Renz and Lichtenbarger combined on a block to help Manchester reach 23-19, and Simmons finished the set with a kill from Howard for a 25-22 win.

Manchester created the early separation in the second set, turning a 4-1 advantage into 11-1 with a seven-point run and finishing the set with a 25-15 win. Kiera Aguirre opened the set with a service ace, while Simmons and Lichtenbarger combined on back-to-back blocks and Howard and Lichtenbarger added another block assist during the 4-0 start. Manchester answered Bluffton's first point with a Lichtenbarger kill, then Hile served six straight points in a stretch that included two Simmons kills from Howard and two Hixson blocks. Bluffton scored three straight late to make it 23-15, but Lichtenbarger responded with a kill from Ava Heady before a Bluffton attack error ended the set.

Manchester finished the third set by scoring the last five points, turning a 22-20 Bluffton lead into a 25-22 set victory. Earlier, Manchester built a 9-4 lead with kills from Lichtenbarger and Simmons, a block by Martinez and Lichtenbarger, and back-to-back service aces from Tiffany Watterson. Bluffton worked back to tie the set at 15-15, moved ahead 17-15 and later led 22-20 before Manchester answered late. After Simmons' kill made it 22-21, Hile served Manchester through the finish, with Simmons tying the set, Howard delivering two straight kills and Simmons closing the set off Howard's assist.

Simmons led Manchester with 19 points, recording 18 kills on .349 hitting with nine digs and two block assists. Howard finished with 32 assists, eight digs, one ace and one block assist. Lichtenbarger posted eight kills on .438 hitting and led Manchester with six total blocks. Watterson collected a team-high 13 digs and added two service aces.

Manchester moves to 8-7 overall and 3-1 in HCAC play. 

Up next, Manchester Volleyball travels to Berea, Ky., to face Berea College (Ky.) on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m.

FRANKLIN, Ind. — Manchester (1-11-1, 1-5-1) lost to Franklin (5-9-1, 3-4-0) 2-1 on Wednesday. Manchester made 10 saves and withstood a 27-4 shot margin, including a 69:44-to-77:17 stretch in which it faced nine Franklin attacking actions without conceding.

Manchester spent several stretches absorbing Franklin attacking sequences without conceding, including five attacking actions early and seven more after Franklin held a 1-0 lead. After Franklin went ahead 2-0, Manchester cut into the deficit when Aubree Main scored off an assist from Imari Francis. Manchester later got through another Franklin stretch without conceding, as Franklin recorded seven shots and two corner kicks during a nine-action run with the score at 2-1.

Franklin finished with a 27-4 advantage in shots and put 12 attempts on goal, while Manchester placed three of its four shots on frame. Reagan Claus kept Manchester within reach with 10 saves across 90 minutes. Main accounted for Manchester's goal on her lone shot, Francis added the assist and a shot on goal, and Delaney Kelly also put her shot on target.

Manchester conceded in the 14th minute but kept the margin at 1-0 through halftime. Earlier, Manchester absorbed early pressure with Franklin earning two corners and Claus saving a shot in the opening four minutes before the match remained scoreless through the 11:29 mark. Francis had Manchester's best recorded look at 14:41, putting a shot on frame that was saved. After the goal, Claus made four more saves, including two in a 32-second span in the 19th minute, as Manchester withstood a stretch of Franklin shots and corners and entered halftime down 1-0.

Main gave Manchester its second-half response at 53:05, scoring off an assist from Francis after Franklin had gone up 2-0. Earlier, Manchester faced immediate pressure as Franklin generated three shots and a corner before scoring at 51:42. Claus helped Manchester stay within one during a 69:44-to-77:17 stretch, saving four of Franklin's seven shots while the visitors also defended two corners without conceding. Manchester produced chances of its own with back-to-back corners in the 68th and 69th minutes, a saved Kelly shot in the 80th minute and Lily DeTray's shot off the woodwork at 89:35 before the match ended with Franklin ahead 2-1.

Main scored on her lone shot, putting her attempt on goal and finishing with two points. Francis recorded Manchester's assist and also placed her shot on frame. Claus finished with 10 saves in 90 minutes, making five saves in each half.

Manchester moves to 1-11-1 overall and 1-5-1 in conference play. 

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — Manchester (7-7-1, 3-3-1) defeated Franklin (0-12-3, 0-6-1) 2-0 on Wednesday. Manchester scored once in each half, put nine of its 13 shots on goal and finished the shutout with six saves.

Manchester had to handle an early Franklin stretch that included four shots and a corner kick before Quentin Taylor opened the scoring. After Taylor's goal, Manchester continued to create chances, taking five shots and a corner during a 15-minute span without adding another goal. The attack picked up again in the second half, when Manchester generated four shots and a corner across an extended stretch before Taylor scored again, this time with an assist from Fola Afolayan, to extend the lead.

Manchester finished with 13 shots and put nine on goal, while Franklin had 12 shots and six on frame. Taylor supplied both Manchester goals on his two shots, and Afolayan added the assist on the second. Will Martin handled Franklin's chances with six saves in a 90-minute shutout, giving Manchester the defensive backing to match its scoring chances.

Taylor put Manchester in front in the 13th minute, scoring at 12:13 after Manchester had just earned its first corner kick of the half. Earlier, Franklin generated four shots in the opening 12 minutes, but Martin saved the first attempt and Manchester kept the match scoreless until Taylor's goal. Manchester continued to push after going ahead, getting shots from Noah Junchaya, Alan Galvez, Aiden Bryant and Axel Bonilla. The half turned more physical late, including three Manchester fouls and a yellow card to Ethan Ludlow, before Martin made another save in the final minute and Manchester went into halftime ahead 1-0.

Taylor scored Manchester's second-half goal at 68:34 off an assist from Afolayan, moving the home side's advantage to 2-0. Earlier, Manchester opened the half with sustained pressure, as Galvez, Dustin Medina Estrada and Bryant each put shots on frame before a corner at 51:10. Martin kept Franklin off the board with two saves before Taylor's goal, then added another stop at 71:12. Manchester continued to create chances after the goal with three corners from 73:53 to 78:06 and a later Medina Estrada shot, then held through Franklin's late corner and two off-target attempts to finish a 2-0 win.

Taylor scored twice on two shots, put both attempts on goal and was credited with the game-winning goal. Martin played all 90 minutes in goal, made six saves and recorded a shutout. Afolayan added an assist for Manchester. Junchaya recorded a team-high three shots, including one on goal.

Manchester moves to 7-7-1 overall and 3-3-1 in conference play. 

Up next, Manchester Soccer travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face Mount St. Joseph University on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at 6 p.m and 8:30 p.m.