Charger volleyball hits stride in 11-game streak

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Charger volleyball hits stride in 11-game streak
Charger Volleyball is on an 11-game win streak. (Photo: Todd Lancaster / Courtesy)

Hillsdale volleyball went undefeated at last weekend’s Midwest Region Crossover Tournament, defeating former GLIAC rivals Ferris State and Tiffin University on Friday and overcoming the GLVC’s Bellarmine University on Saturday.

The Chargers now have an 18-3 record this season and improved their winning streak to 11 matches. They were the only G-MAC team to go 3-0 at the tournament in Aurora, Illinois.

“Our success this weekend shows the preparation and time we’ve put into this sport as well as the amount of heart we each have for the game,” junior rightside hitter Paige VanderWall said.

The Chargers won their tournament opener 3-1, against three-time defending GLIAC champion Ferris State — the first time Hillsdale defeated the Bulldogs since 2011.

“We really served Ferris aggressively and took them out of system,” senior outside hitter Jackie Langer said.

The Bulldogs held a 24-23 lead toward the end of the first set, but after a timeout, the Chargers rallied to score the last three points. Hillsdale seized a commanding lead in the second set to win 25-19, but lost the third set, 25-20. The Chargers reversed that score for a victorious fourth set.

“We knew that we needed to continually press them the entire time, which is definitely a challenge against a solid team like Ferris pushing back,” VanderWall said. “I think our resiliency in tandem with our communication and execution really helped us pull through with a win.”

Hillsdale’s offense went for a .295 hitting percentage through the match. Langer scored a season-high 15 kills, and VanderWall contributed 17 of her own. Junior outside hitter Kara Vyletel nailed 15 kills, and freshman middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen racked up 12 in an impressive performance.

Those numbers would not have been possible without the help of freshman setter Lindsey Mertz, who had a career-high 55 assists. The Chargers’ defense also pulled their weight against the Bulldogs — Ferris made 172 attack attempts, but only had 56 kills in the entire match. Sophomore libero Taylor Wiese led the defense with 26 digs in total.

“Almost all our players had strong performances this weekend,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “But, Taylor and Lindsey will get the most recognition.”

Mertz and Wiese were both named to the all-tournament team for their performances in all three matches this weekend.

“Taylor did a phenomenal job being a leader in the backcourt and coordinating our defense while Lindsey did the same with our offense in the front row,” VanderWall said. “Both did a great job of activating individuals and the team while problem solving in tense situations.”

Thanks to her efforts this weekend, Mertz was also named G-MAC West player of the week for the first time in her career — the third player selected on Hillsdale’s team this season. Her average 10.8 assists per set is currently the third highest average in the G-MAC.

Friday also brought a 3-1 victory over former GLIAC and soon-to-be G-MAC rival Tiffin University. The Chargers slayed the Dragons 25-19 in the opening two sets, but Tiffin regrouped and won the third set 25-22. In the final set, they led 23-19, but Hillsdale went on a 9-3 run to win 28-26.

Freshman outside hitter Maddie Clark had seven kills, two of which came in the decisive fourth set. Vyletel led the offense with 16 kills, followed by VanderWall with 14, and sophomore middle Hannah Gates, who had a career-high nine kills. Mertz provided support with 33 assists through the match.

“Our offense was extremely spread out which kept our opponents on their toes,” Vyletel said. “Our defense also killed it, and our serve receive was solid.”

Wiese achieved a career high of her own against Tiffin — 29 digs. VanderWall added 14 digs of her own, and Mertz contributed 10.

“I think our efforts from the service line helped us disband our opponents’ offense, which was very helpful for us,” VanderWall said. “We will continue to work on serving to make it a greater strength for our team.”

On Saturday, Hillsdale won their final match of the tournament, against Bellarmine University. The teams started tied 1-1, but Hillsdale pulled away with 25-14 and 25-15 victories in the final two sets.

On defense, Wiese made 23 digs to end her weekend, sophomore outside hitter Emily Lachmann made 13, and Mertz continued her outstanding performance with four digs and another 33 assists. On offense, Vyletel had 14 kills and a .400 hitting percentage. Van Wienen followed her closely, also making a .400 with 13 kills. VanderWall scored 10 kills and two service aces.

“The crossover tournament shows we have consistency, resiliency, and a deep bench,” Gravel said. “Let’s hope we can keep up our streak.”

This weekend, the Chargers face the Walsh University Cavaliers and the Malone University Pioneers. Both teams are currently 8-2 in conference play.

“We are eager to get back into the gym to continue working hard and to prepare for Walsh and Malone,” VanderWall said.