In a hard-fought battle, the Hillsdale College volleyball team defeated the Northwood University Timberwolves on Wednesday evening 3-2. The mid-week victory bumps the Chargers to 7-6 in the GLIAC and 15-9 overall.
Though Hillsdale swept Northwood 3-0 just last month, the Timberwolves put up a fight this time around. Northwood came out strong, jumping to a 21-4 lead. Though the Chargers eventually found a rhythm — they scored 10 of the final 14 points — the Timberwolves pounded the Chargers 25-14 to start the match.
“Nothing was going on at all,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “For whatever reason, we were tight and we let a lot of balls drop that were pretty easy coming over the net. We realized we weren’t going to win the set so I said, ‘We need to get playing properly. Let’s think about the next play, get a few things right in a row, and get ready for set two.’”
That’s what the Chargers did. Hillsdale carried some momentum into set two, maintaining a consistent lead throughout the game. The Chargers powered to a 25-18 win to even the score.
In set three, the Chargers worked for a 21-14 lead before edging to a 25-20 victory to pull ahead, but Northwood wouldn’t go down without a fight. The Timberwolves tied the match again, when they grabbed set four, 25-21.
For the seventh time this season, Hillsdale found itself playing a fifth set. When the Chargers jumped to a 12-4 lead, it was clear they wanted to come out on top. From there it went back and forth, but the Timberwolves couldn’t come back from the deficit. The Chargers ran away with a 15-7 win to cap the match.
Gravel called the game “intense” — the Timberwolves’ post-season fate depended on the outcome.
“They were doing everything they could. We took it that way, too, as a must-win match,” Gravel said.
Though a number of Chargers performed well at the net, senior outside hitter Sam Siddall was a standout even with limited playing time. Siddall’s five kills, four digs, and two block assists came in clutch for the Charger offense, Gravel said.
“We wouldn’t have won this match without Sam coming in and doing a great job,” Gravel said. “It was great to see her get some key serves, key blocks, and key passes today.”
By the numbers, sophomore rightside hitter Paige VanderWall led the Chargers’ offense with 18 kills. Senior middle hitter Erin Holsinger smacked 13 kills of her own, while sophomore outside hitter Kara Vyletel added 10.
Sophomore setter Taylor Bennett put up an impressive 49 assists, while sophomore defensive specialist Taylor Wiese was solid in the back row.
“Taylor Wiese was really consistent with her play tonight and if she can continue that and the other players around her can grab onto that, too, that will help us in the next couple of days,” Gravel said.
Hillsdale’s win over Northwood came on the heels of two other lengthy matches this weekend. The Chargers fell to the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals on Friday in a 3-1 decision then turned around to defeat the Lake Superior State University Lakers on Saturday 3-1.
Vyletel said the Chargers are experiencing a late-season epiphany and learning how to best utilize Hillsdale’s array of talent.
“We’re getting back in the swing of things and learning how to work together and get that synergy,” Vyletel said. “Although it’s late in the season, it’s a big growth step. We’re a very young team so we made a lot of mistakes. It’s giving us a good setting for the end of the season so I’m positive about that.”
Friday’s tight match showed some of the familiar hiccups the Chargers have faced recently, as the Cardinals edged to a 3-1 win. Saginaw grabbed set one with a 25-22 score, but Hillsdale fought back in set two to tie the match. Set three was especially frustrating for the Chargers, when the Cardinals used a 8-1 run to overcome a 22-17 deficit and regain their lead. The Cardinals powered to another victory in set four to put the Chargers away.
The Chargers tried out a couple fresh lineups, including one featuring freshman middle hitter Hannah Gates. When Gates came off the bench to start game two she put up some impressive numbers, finishing with seven block assists, six kills, and one solo block. Gravel said Gates has been working hard to grab a spot in the lineup over the last month.
“She’s swinging well in the middle right now and giving us a little extra offense that we need,” Gravel said. “She’s also done a nice job reading opposing middles so she’s come up with some key hits and some key blocks.”
On Saturday, the Chargers managed to turn it around, capturing a 3-1 win against the Lakers. After Hillsdale powered to 26-24 wins in set one and two, the Lakers fought back to reverse the score in set three. After a trio of tight sets, the Chargers decided to end the match, crushing the Lakers with a 25-11 victory in set four.
“In the fourth game, we felt more like us than we have in a long time,” Gravel said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of fear of failure, which we’ve kind of felt over the last couple of weeks.”
On Saturday, the Chargers celebrated the senior class: Erin Holsinger, Kyra Rodi, and Sam Siddall. The seniors combined for 28 kills, led by Holsinger who racked up 17 kills from the middle.
“Erin, numbers wise, had a really good weekend and Kyra and Sam were solid also,” Gravel said. “They played a major part this weekend.”
Gravel said this senior class stands out for its versatility, and that each member brings something unique and important to the lineup.
Though the senior trio played its last home match this Saturday, they have two more weekends of conference play on the road before the 2016 GLIAC Tournament. Immediately after defeating the Timberwolves, the Chargers started their trek to the Upper Peninsula to take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Michigan Tech Huskies on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“It’s always tough to win two up there but we need to win two up there,” Gravel said. “We have to be at our best every moment we can.”
Sophomore middle hitter Christine Siddall said she uses the approaching end of conference play as a motivator.
“It makes me want it more, because I really want to continue the season,” Siddall said. “We go into every game thinking, ‘This one counts. Let’s focus on this game, right here, right now. Let’s focus on the next one later.’ It makes me want to keep winning, because it feels good.”
