The Hillsdale Volleyball team is preparing to follow-up its first trip to the Division II Elite Eight since 2011.

The preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association poll ranked the team No. 16 in the country headed into the season.

After a summer full of training, the Hillsdale Volleyball team prepares for its return in its season opener this Friday at the Rockhurst Invitational in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Over the weekend the Chargers will play in matches against the Minnesota State Mavericks, Rockhurst Hawks, Missouri Western State Griffons, and Black Hills State Yellow Jackets.

The theme for this season, according to head coach Chris Gravel, will be servant leadership.

“With 19 players on the team and only six positions available on the court at a time, it will be crucial that each member of the team is doing whatever they can to help their teammates, whether they are the ones that represent us on gameday or not,” Gravel said. “Off the court, we put in work really getting to know one another, learning how to talk to one another, and also how to create a deep trust within one another.”

After last season’s trip to the Elite Eight, the defending Volley enter the fall fresh off an offseason of hard work, where incoming freshmen joined with team veterans to fill the holes left by five graduating seniors of last year’s class. 

“The biggest thing the team has been working on this preseason is bringing the new freshmen up to speed and developing quality relationships with them,” Gravel said. “After losing a big class it took a lot of buy in for everyone to step up and fill those holes, and we think the players have done a great job putting themselves out there for the good of the team.”

Emory Braswell, one of the team’s new freshmen, said that she has been enjoying this process.

“Although it has been a bit nerve-racking coming into such an established team, I have had the best time getting to know my teammates and learning to play alongside them,” Braswell said. “It has been amazing getting to play with girls who share the same love for the sport, the same competitive drive, and the same desire to be the best they can be.”

In addition to the strengthening of team cohesion during the offseason, Senior Audrey Riley emphasized the intense physical and mental preparation required to build the caliber of team which the Charger Volleyball program expects. These expectations come after five straight conference titles and a 71 match winning streak in conference, 85 including conference tournament matches.

“The spring is really our time as a team to get physically and mentally in shape,” Riley said. “From hard lifts to court conditioning to mental challenges, we really pushed ourselves to be the best we could be. We knew that we needed to work extra hard to not only get back to where we were but to surpass our previous season and expectations.”

She agreed with Coach Gravel in her belief that the team will be able to step up and position themselves for success despite the loss of important players from last year’s roster including two All-Americans, two All-G-MAC players, and a top 10 all time finisher in career digs at Hillsdale.

“Yes it is a change to lose an impactful class, but it gives an opportunity for others to step up and lead and do just as well,” Riley said. “This team works so hard no matter what, and I think that we will live up to the expectations.”

These expectations have been set by more than the Chargers themselves. The 2022 G-MAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll selected the Hillsdale Chargers to win the North Division title and claim their sixth season in a row as division champions.

The confidence in this team is not surprising considering their many years of success. Riley stressed her fervent belief in the team’s core philosophy which establishes a unity and strength that is built around each player and firmly recognizes the vital work done by every one of them.

“We have this metaphor about the team being an iceberg,” Riley said. “The six representing the team on the court at any given time are the tip sticking out of the water. But what you cannot see is the big, strong, wide base underneath the water. These are the teammates on the bench who push the people on the court every day at practice to better themselves. They are headstrong and courageous and fearless leaders who deserve just as much, if not more, recognition than the six on that court. We are one united front, and none of us could survive with even one less teammate.”