The Hillsdale College volleyball team is finally able to compete in its full regular season this spring. Coming off their third consecutive conference title from last year, the Chargers will enter the season holding second place in the NCAA DII Midwest regional rankings.
This Friday, the Chargers will have their opening match against Trevecca Nazarene University at 6 p.m. at the George Roche Sports Complex. They will also compete at home on Saturday against Kentucky Wesleyan College at 1 p.m.
After a fall season full of intense physical and mental training, the team is back and prepared to face top competition this spring. Senior Allyssa Van Wienen said she is grateful for the extra training that the team had in the fall.
“I think it goes without saying that we are extremely excited to start up competition again,” Van Wienen said. “We were given this unique opportunity to put in an entire semester’s worth of work right before the start of the season and I think all of us are ready to put that hard work to the test.”
Now that the Chargers have finished their “non-traditional” season in place of the fall season, their regular season is set to start with a full lineup of matches.
“We are ready to get down to business,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “We want to remain extremely focused on the process and what is in our control.”
There may still be potential for scheduling changes, but the team has been preparing as if they will have their regular schedule, Van Wienen said.
“We are so incredibly grateful for every opportunity to play that we get this semester,” Van Wienen said. “We all recognize that this season is a bit unconventional, so we’re taking it one game at a time and making the most of every opportunity we get, spending every week prepping as if there is always going to be a game. This will help make sure that we can be the most prepared as possible on game day, whenever that may be.”
Van Wienen affirmed that every moment in practice counts.
“A big focus on our team has been 1% improvements,” Van Wienen said. “These are the improvements that aren’t always noticeable day to day, but become clearer as you get further down the stretch of the season. Every game, every practice, every time we get to get on the court and touch a ball, we are focusing on being disciplined and paying attention to the little things to ensure that we are continuing to improve our game.”
Although there have been many unprecedented changes for the team with game cancellations, season shifts, and the welcoming of new members, they are still ready to face anything.
“As much as we don’t want it to happen, there is always the possibility that people on the team will not be able to play at some point during the season,” Van Wienen said. “We’ve put time into preparing to be able to play comfortably outside of our normal positions.”
No matter the outcome, Gravel said that he is excited and ready to begin competition again.
“My goal is always to give the most beneficial experience possible using our current circumstances to create growth,” Gravel said. “I am very excited to head into this season with different obstacles to overcome. Expectations are very high.”
