After opening the second weekend of competition against three nationally-ranked teams, the Hillsdale College women’s volleyball team earned its first victory, defeating Urbana University 3-0 this past Saturday, Sept. 8.
“We practiced really hard this past week and it showed on the floor,” sophomore Alexis Waugh said. “Girls were working harder to get the ball and it was great to be able to take it out on the other teams.”
The Chargers received their first win of the season at the Findlay Fall Classic. They finished the tournament 1-3, however, as they lost their three other games against California-Pa., University of Indianapolis and Wheeling–Jesuit.
Against the Urbana Knights the Chargers won in three matches, 25-11, 25-14, and 25–13. Freshman Jenalle Beaman had her first 10-kill game in college. Junior Bekah Draves also had 10 kills.
“We were able to stay strong throughout the whole game,” senior Lauren Grover said.
In other matches, the team didn’t play as consistent.
Hillsdale began the tournament on Friday against California PA.The team was up by two sets before dropping the next three.
The team became too comfortable, Waugh said.
The team then faced the University of Indianapolis and lost 3-0.
“We came out in the match strong, but had a little bit of a meltdown,” said head coach Chris Gravel.
In the final contest against Wheeling–Jesuit, the team came back to tie the game after being down two sets, but lost in the fifth set.
“The [Wheeling–-Jesuit] game was not about which team made the most mistakes,” Gravel said. “However, it was the team that made the greatest plays.”
“It felt like a championship game with the energy,” Waugh said. “It was probably hardest to lose because we fought so hard to win and just could not believe it when the ball hit the floor.”
Waugh said the team has grown over the past two weekends with all the exposure they have received in their competitive opening schedule. She also said the team continues to take the positives from each game.
After this past weekend the team ended the first phase of their season: pre-tournament goals. The team will head into phase two by starting conference play this weekend.
The Chargers will have their home and GLIAC openers this weekend against Grand Valley State University on Friday at 7 p.m. and Ferris State University on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“We all expect to [win] and know what we are here for,” Waugh said.