The Hillsdale College volleyball team received a No. 1 ranking for the first time in Charger history on Feb. 10. Hillsdale was ranked No. 2 after their victory over Ursuline last weekend.
The Chargers demolished Ursuline, beating their opponent once again in just three sets, with final scores of 25-15, 25-20, and 25-11. This was the fifth-straight win of their undefeated record this season.
“It was a complete team effort,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “Everybody got in and contributed to the match. We continue to develop all of our players in preparation for anything that might happen down the line.”
Gravel said he had three lineups prepared to play, and all three lineups competed successfully.
“One of the highlights of the match was definitely being able to get all active players on the roster to play at least one set,” senior middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen said. “Being able to play through every player on the bench and still coming out with a solid win is not something many teams can boast about.”
Although the Chargers have consistently beaten their competition in three-set sweeps, junior outside hitter Maggie DePorre said that they still head into every match like it’s their last.
“As a team we are taught to always respect our opponents,” DePorre said. “We always go into a game like it’s the final, because when that moment comes, you have to be prepared.”
Before receiving their No. 1 ranking on Wednesday, both Van Wienen and DePorre agreed that their No. 2 ranking only increases the intensity of competition for them.
“I think that if being ranked No. 2 changes anything at all, it would be the size of the target on our backs,” Van Wienen said. “Every team that plays us wants to beat us and I guess being ranked even higher than before might make them want to beat us even more.”
DePorre said that the Chargers are prepared to compete as hard, if not harder, as they have been all season.
“The ranking is nice, but it doesn’t mean anything,” DePorre said. “Right now, we’re only better than the last team we beat. But it is a compliment for sure. And a lot of people have been reaching out and congratulating us which is really nice because we do work really hard.”
The Feb. 6 match against 2019 Elite Eight Gannon University was canceled due to an inconclusive COVID-19 test result on the opponents team, but Hillsdale will play them at home on Feb. 27.
As the Chargers head into the week, they will host three games on their home court. They beat Ashland University in three sets, 25-21, 25-19, and 25-15 on Wednesday. They will compete against Davenport University on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. and Lake Erie College on Feb. 13 at 1 p.m.
“This week, we have the opportunity to play three games in a week so it will be good practice for the end of our season,” Van Wienen said. “I am excited to see how far we can push ourselves, mentally and physically, through a longer competition week than we are used to.”
