Volleyball splits games at Ferris State

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The Volleyball team started their season last weekend
Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

At the Ferris State Invitational, the formal beginning to the 2021 season, the Hillsdale Chargers women’s volleyball team left with two wins and two losses. 

On Friday, the Chargers took on teams from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and Saint Leo University, winning both games and beginning the weekend strong. UMSL took the Chargers into a five-set match. During the fifth and deciding match, the Chargers won 15-3. Junior outside hitter Karoline Shelton served eight consecutive points, and with the help of senior Allyssa Van Wienen’s two kills, the Chargers began their first day with unmatched energy. 

The Chargers took down Saint Leo in three sets and won by a minimum of 8 points in each set. Van Wienen and fellow senior Maggie DePorre led the Chargers to their victory with a collective total of 19 kills. Freshman setter Lauren Passaglia saw some playing time and officially earned her first kill and assist. Sophomore outside hitter Amy Buffini also made her way to the court, marking her territory with six kills in her second match as a Charger. As the Chargers fall into their flow for the season, Buffini is adjusting to her new home team after transferring from Point Loma Nazarene University. 

“Everyone’s been so welcoming,” Buffini said.“I’ve been lucky to have the fifth-years here to really show me what the program is about.” 

On Saturday, the Chargers fought neck and neck with Winona St. and Oklahoma Baptist University, though they lost both. Winona St. ended up leaving the invitational undefeated, which added to their winning tournament streak that began at the 2019 University of Illinois, Springfield Invitational. 

Shelton armed the Chargers’ offensive play with 16 kills alongside freshman Marilyn Popplewell and her 7 kills. The Chargers took Winona St. to four sets before their tight loss in the fourth set. 

The Chargers took on OBU with a close win (28-26) in their first set. The following sets were tight ones, in which the Chargers almost forced a fifth, deciding set but lost the fourth set by two points. This loss concluded the invitation and sent the players home with plenty of material to study moving forward.

“Having control over emotions after errors is something we practice every day,” Gravel said. “Being resilient enough to figure out a different way to get things done is a focus for us.”

Aside from wins and losses, the weekend awarded some of the senior players the chance to meet milestones. Setter Lindsey Mertz now has 4,000 career assists. Libero/defense specialist Madie Schider reached 1,000 career digs. Both are huge career milestones for the Chargers. 

“It was an honor to achieve this mark because unlike many other positions, my success is directly dependent on not only what I do, but also that our passers pass the ball well and the hitters are able to execute and get kills off my sets.” Mertz said. “It is truly a team milestone, and it would not have been possible without all of the girls I have played with past and present.

The success of the team over that of the individual is a huge theme in Gravel’s coaching philosophy. 

“When someone gets recognized as an individual, they need to bring cookies or something for the team.” Gravel said. “There’s no way they get that recognition without the team.”

The Chargers are headed to Palm Beach, Florida this weekend for another set of matches at the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach.