Box score: Hillsdale 3, Seton Hill 1
Box score: Hillsdale 3, Indianapolis 0
After a frustrating regional loss on Saturday, the 14th-ranked Hillsdale College volleyball team battled back to post a pair of impressive wins over traditionally strong programs at Tiffin University Sunday.
In the morning, the Chargers dispatched Seton Hill 3-1, winning by scores of 25-22, 23-25, 25-14 and 25-15. In the day's second match, the Chargers swept the University of Indianapolis 3-0 in a huge regional win. Those set scores were 25-14, 25-19 and 25-23.
Hillsdale stands at 9-2 overall entering the start of conference play at home next weekend.
In Saturday's match, Hillsdale lost its three sets to Illinois-Springfield by a grand total of seven points, a frustrating result given that the Prairie Stars are a strong regional opponent. But the Chargers reversed that trend Sunday, playing well in tense situations in both matches.
Hillsdale won a back-and-forth opening set with the Griffins in the morning, only to see a five-point lead slip away in the second set. But Hillsdale gathered itself and made sure there wouldn't be any more close situations in the final two sets, blowing Seton Hill out by a combined score of 50-29.
Junior Allyssa Van Wienen continues to take her game to higher and higher levels. She finished the match vs. the Griffins with a career-high 24 kills to go along with 7 digs, 4 total blocks and a .639 hitting percentage. Van Wienen had 13 kills, in the fourth set alone. That simply never happens.
Senior Emily Lachmann also stepped her game up, putting down a career-high 20 kills with a .390 hitting percentage.
Senior libero Taylor Wiese was magnificent on defense, notching a career-high 33 digs in the victory. It was the second time this season, and fourth time overall, she's had 30 or more digs in a match.
Junior Lindsey Mertz had 56 assists, a career-high for a four-set match.
In Sunday afternoon's win over the Greyhounds, Van Wienen was darn near perfect, coming in with 19 kills and a .731 hitting percentage. She didn't commit a single hitting error in the match, and that hitting percentage is the 10th-best in a single match in G-MAC history.
Mertz wrapped up a great weekend with 35 assists, 11 digs and 4 total blocks while Wiese led the back row with 16 digs.
PHOTO: Victoria Addis