A consistent and balanced offensive game plan worked out perfectly for the Charger volleyball team Saturday afternoon.
Three different players had at least 7 kills with a hitting percentage of .400 or better as Hillsdale kept up its conference winning streak with a 3-0 win over Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. The Chargers are now 16-6 overall and 13-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
After falling behind 9-5 in the opening set, the Chargers scored 20 of the set's final 28 points in winning the opener 25-17. Set 2 was not as competitive as Hillsdale rolled to a 25-7 win. Set 3 ended with a 25-15 Hillsdale win.
The Chargers hit .354 as a team, putting down 46 kills with just 11 errors as a team. Defensively, Hillsdale recorded its seventh match of the season where the opponent hit less than .100, with the Arrows hitting .040 as a team in the match (23 kills, 19 errors).
Middle hitters Hannah Gates and Allyssa Van Wienen each played well, combining for 15 kills. Gates had 8 with no errors, good for a .571 hitting percentage. Van Wienen added 7 kills and 4 digs to the win.
Senior Kara Vyletel had her best offensive match of the season, leading all players with a season-high 17 kills. In addition to the volume of points she generated, Vyletel was accurate and efficient, finishing with a .483 hitting percentage. Her 17 kills came on just 29 total attempts, marking another high point in what has been a tremendous career.
Sophomore setter Lindsey Mertz was once again a catalyst for the offensive production with 42 assists, an average of 14 per set. Junior Taylor Wiese led the defense with 21 digs, an average of seven per set. Sophomore Madie Schider had 7 digs and a pair of service aces, while freshman Karoline Shelton (pictured) produced 5 kills, 4 digs and a service ace in the win.
PHOTO: Todd Lancaster