Courtesy| Hillsdale College Athletic Department
The Chargers volleyball team tacked two more wins onto their streak this past weekend, now leading the G-MAC with a 14-match winning streak. They won 3-0 against both the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets and the Ohio Dominican Panthers.
The Chargers said that they prepared for vengeance from the Yellow Jackets for this match. In the spring G-MAC tournament semifinal, the Chargers beat them in a five-set match by two points. With many of the same players on both teams, the match was predicted to be an intense one. Seniors Allyssa Van Wienen and Maggie DePorre along with junior Karoline Shelton all led the offensive play, combining for 28 kills. Senior setter Lindsey Mertz had 38 assists and 9 digs, aided by freshman Allie Wiese and senior Madie Schider’s 9 digs each.
“Cedarville has a pretty strong offensive lineup that puts up a big block, so we knew we had to take advantage of whatever weaknesses they presented to us,” Freshman Maizie Brown said. “We figure out what they’re struggling with, and we aim to exploit those weaknesses.”
The match against the Panthers mirrored the team’s Friday match with Van Wienen having 11 kills, while Shelton put up 10. Freshman Amy Buffini added 5 kills and senior Maddie Clark notched four. In the back row, Shelton finished with 19 digs, Wiese with 15, and Schider with 15 as well. Brown contributed five blocks total in the match.
“Everybody was ready to go in these matches, whether they were on the floor or the bench,” Head Coach Chris Gravel said. “That makes such a big difference whether we have to use a lot of people or not.”
Both of these matches took place at home for Hillsdale’s parents’ weekend. On Friday night, the stadium was packed with football players and parents.
“My favorite part of this weekend was definitely the chance to finally be home after traveling on the road these past few weekends,” Sophomore Megan Kolp said. “It felt like a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by our fans and family.”
Currently, the Chargers are at the top of the North Division G-MAC, with a conference-best 9-0 record. Their winning streak is more than twice as long as any other team in the conference at the moment.
The Chargers head to the Midwest Region Crossover this weekend and are waiting the announcement of their three opponents. Now 9-0 in G-MAC play, the team heads into these matches as the top-seed.
“Games are emotional rollercoasters.” Gravel said. “This weekend, we have to use our energy spikes in a positive manner, and we have to keep our emotions on the kiddy rides.”
