Courtesy: Hillsdale College Athletic Department
The Hillsdale volleyball team swept Walsh University in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal match Nov. 18 in Ohio, after losing a 3–2 set match against Tiffin University Nov. 14, and taking a 3–2 set win against University of Findlay Nov. 15.
The Chargers finished the regular season 11–4 in the GMAC and 14–11 overall.
Sophomore Ellie Fles had the best match in her career against Tiffin with 21 kills, hitting at .463, and contributing seven digs and five blocks, according to head coach Chris Gravel.
“Ellie Fles, on the outside, made a big difference in the match,” Gravel said.
The Chargers entered Friday night hoping to defeat Tiffin so the GMAC quarterfinal game could be played at home. The first two sets were split between Hillsdale and Tiffin, but with a 25–14 third set win the Chargers took the lead.
The Chargers were up 17–14 in the fourth set, trying to close out the match. But with a 6–0 run, Tiffin advanced to a 20-17 lead. Unable to close the gap, the Chargers lost set four 25–21 to Tiffin.
Tiffin forced the game into a fifth set and took the win 15–13.
Freshman Grace Drake hit 12 kills and 13 digs with seven assists for the Chargers. Fles and senior Adi Sysum each added eight kills for the Chargers. Sysum also chipped in three blocks, while sophomores Caroline Lanicek and Jenna Southland added five blocks each.
According to Gravel, the Chargers improved on their offense and played a better game the next day.
“Our offense wasn’t clicking, and Tiffin is a good team, so it came to the end when anything could happen, and it didn’t fall our way,” Gravel said. “The following day, our offense kicked in, and it made a world of difference, and we were able to get a better result.”
The Chargers started their game against Findlay with two set wins. Fles hit five kills for the Chargers winning set one 25–17. The Chargers led wire-to-wire in set two, winning the set 25–16.
Findlay won the next two sets, both 25–21. In the fifth set Findlay fell behind 8–2 due to Chargers starting the set with two blocks and back-to-back kills by Lanicek. Findlay almost met Hillsdale’s score at 11–10, but the Chargers scored four of the final six points, winning set five 15–12.
According to Drake the energy that went into defeating Findlay transferred over to their game against Walsh.
“We went into playing Findlay with a ton of freedom and confidence that we carried with us into the game against Walsh,” Drake said.
The Chargers never trailed for a single point in its game against Walsh, dominating the net and overpowering Walsh offensively and defensively. The Chargers won the first set 25–18, the second set 25–14, and the third set 25–19.
Junior Marcelina Gorny had been on the sidelines all season due to lower back injuries until the game against Walsh. Gorny’s eight kills helped the Chargers win their first victory in this season’s GMAC Tournament.
“My eight kills couldn’t have happened without everyone on the team doing exactly what they needed to do,” Gorny said. “Everything was clicking for all of us, and that helped feed my confidence and motivated me to be fearless in my play. Thankfully, I’ve had a productive few weeks of practice with the team, which definitely contributed to the trust my setters had in my abilities.”
The Chargers will play Cedarville University in the GMAC Tournament Semifinal on the road Nov. 21. Hillsdale hopes to claim its eighth GMAC Tournament title this weekend.
According to Gorny, the Chargers are preparing to play better than they have all year.
“It’s really rewarding to see all our hard work pay off in important moments like this,” Gorny said. “The team as a whole is in a ‘the work is not finished’ mindset. A win is not just handed over, and we recognize and embrace that we need to work extremely hard to achieve our goals.”
