The Hillsdale College volleyball team extended its winning streak over conference rival Wayne State to five years and eight matches Friday night.
The Chargers played a superb defensive match en route to a 3-0 win over the Warriors in Detroit's Matthaie Center. Hillsdale is now 8-8 overall and 5-3 in the GLIAC, and stays on the road to face the University of Findlay Saturday afternoon.
The Chargers won the three sets by an average of more than six points per game, earning wins by scores of 25-17, 25-19 and 25-19. The last time Hillsdale lost to Wayne State was the first round of the 2008 GLIAC Tournament, nearly five full years ago.
One of the team's most improved players has been sophomore Jenalle Beaman (pictured), who played an outstanding all-around match for the winning team. Beaman, an angular, left-handed player who has skills to play all the way around the court, had a season-high eight kills and 10 digs while hitting .333 for the match. She also dropped two service aces on the Warriors and gives the team invaluable versatility.
Beaman led a well-balanced offense for Hillsdale in the win. Sophomorea Haylee Booms and Emily Wolfert each had six kills, while Booms had three solo blocks and two block assists. Junior Lindsay Kostrzewa added five kills and five total blocks.
Sophomore setter Marissa Owen's 27 assists were the second-most she's had in a match in her career, and her 9.0 assists per set set a single-match career high.
This was a key win for Hillsdale on several fronts. Any GLIAC win on the road is valuable, but even more significant is Wayne State's impressive resume. Earlier this season, the Warriors notched a 3-1 win over Southwest Minnesota State, who is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation. A win like that will help Hillsdale's regional ranking down the road.