The Hillsdale College volleyball team made history last weekend as the Chargers captured their fourth straight G-MAC championship title, and junior outside hitter Karoline Shelton received the G-MAC Player of the Year award for the first time.
But before the Chargers advanced to the championship, they played possibly their toughest game all season against Cedarville University. They finished the night in five sets and beat out Cedarville in 20-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-23, 15-13.
“There was a time where almost every match was coming down to the wire,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “It felt like that you really had no idea who’s going to win because both teams were making so many great plays that anything could happen. I was thinking before that both teams have done enough where they deserve to win.”
Although the Chargers didn’t win in their habitual three-set sweep, the intensity of the game revealed the team’s consistent energy and passion.
“The Cedarville game was so close, but I’d say it was probably our favorite game thus far,” junior outside hitter Maggie DePorre said. “Cedarville played their hearts out and we responded. It was so much fun, and to win a game like that is very rewarding. It was also too close, though, so going into the championship game, we definitely wanted to emphasize a sense of urgency.”
Shelton said that after the semi-final the team was physically and mentally exhausted, but excited for the championship and for a repeat of last year’s competition against Tiffin University.
“I think the Cedarville game made us all realize how hard we were going to have to work for the championship,” Shelton said. “They played really well and really made us work for the win. Going into the championship we were excited that we had the opportunity to play a good team again but nervous because of how much they wanted to win as much as we did.”
Coming off of a win, the team was ready to put up another fight, DePorre said.
“Tiffin is a good team and we watched them shutdown Walsh the night before, so we knew that this was going to be another fight,” DePorre said. “I think any nervousness we had for the game was converted into excitement.”
And that is exactly what the team did. The Chargers’ mental toughness supported them through the entire championship as they pulled out a 3-1 victory in 22-25, 25-14, 25-15, 25-22.
“Our team is exceptional because we handle high pressure situations better than most teams,” DePorre said. “Our advantage is we are in better shape than the other teams. This shows at the end of a match when the other team may be struggling to close the block or make the right shots.”
Gravel also emphasized the importance of mental toughness, especially going into the tournament with a top ranking.
“I think it’s easier to play when you’re a little bit of an underdog, but we’re just expected to win all the time,” Gravel said. “That’s good because we’ve earned that but that also adds a layer of pressure.”
After a hard-earned win, the team was ready to grab its fourth G-MAC title. DePorre’s personal goals for the championship included scoring for the team, and working on team urgency.
“Obviously I wanted to score points for the team, so my goal was to be ultra-aware of the block and my opportunities as a hitter to convert points,” DePorre said. “Tiffin is a strong blocking team as well, so I wanted to give it right back to them by doing the work necessary to throw off their hitters. It is so important for us to communicate, listen, and feed off each other, so that was a team goal as well.”
Shelton agreed about team urgency, and also worked to aid her team in every possible way on the court.
“My goal going into the championship was to work as hard as I could on the court for my teammates,” Shelton said. “I would say something that makes our team as strong as we are is that we put all the emphasis on our mental training. Being able to back bounce after an error is something that we excel at.”
Shelton’s mental and physical training paid off as she received her first-ever G-MAC Player of the Year award. Shelton led in kills in every match leading up to the championship, and had a career-high of 22 kills against Cedarville.
“I was not expecting it because there were so many great players this year on our team and others so I really thought anyone could have gotten it,” Shelton said. “I feel like I got to this point because I had my teammates pushing me to get better every day.”
Alongside the Player of the Year award, the team won six other G-MAC honors, and Gravel was awarded the G-MAC Coach of the Year award for the fourth time in a row.
“It’s a great accomplishment for the team,” Gravel said. “It’s nice to have, but it really is a team award.”
The Chargers now look to compete in Dallas, Texas, at the AVCA national invitational tournament in mid-April.
“We’ve only had one day of practice, but at first I asked the team what they want with this experience, because is it good enough that we’ve already won the conference title?” Gravel said. “I mean, we did make the record books, but they seem like they really want to go and try to win it. That’s going to take a lot of work.”
