FRIDAY RECAP
Sometimes, sports deal teams a cruel fate.
The Hillsdale College volleyball team played with heart and effort, but lost a 3-2 decision to Rockhurst University on the first day of the 2016 Mizuno Midwest Region Volleyball Tournament in Aurora, Illinois.
Two of the sets went to "extra points," with the Eagles winning set 1 27-25. The Chargers rebounded to win set 2 25-22, but Rockhurst cruised to a 25-16 win in set 3.
In set 4, Hillsdale fought off match point an incredible five times, and pulled out a 30-28 win. The Chargers carried momentum over from that win early into set 5, taking an 8-5 lead when the teams switched sides. But Rockhurst had one more charge left in it, and finished the match on a 10-3 run, winning set 5 15-11.
The loss ruined a record-tying effort by sophomore outside hitter Kara Vyletel. She piled up 26 kills in the match, tying the school record for kills in a match during the 25-point rally score era, which began in 2008. She not only tied a school record for kills, but she did so in incredibly efficient manner, finishing the match with a .368 hitting percentage, an extraordinarily high percentage for having so many kills.
Not to be outdone was junior Jackie Langer, who herself set a season-high with 19 kills. She particularly stepped up in the fourth set, when she had four kills after the Chargers trailed 26-25. Langer also had 13 digs, 3 service aces and 2 solo blocks.
Sophomore Paige VanderWall also had a huge match with 14 kills and 7 digs, with a .257 hitting percentage.
Freshman libero Taylor Wiese set a career-high with 27 digs, while sophomore setter Taylor Bennett handed out 58 assists.
Four of Hillsdale's last five matches have gone the full five sets.
SATURDAY RECAP
Box Score: UIndy 3, Hillsdale 2
Another frustrating five-set loss opened Saturday's play for the Charger volleyball team.
Hillsdale had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the match, but could not hold off the University of Indianapolis in a 3-2 loss in the first session of the second day of the Mizuno Midwest Region Crossover in Aurora, Illinois.
Langer, coming off her season-high in kills, had a very effective offensive match for Hillsdale with 12 kills and a .324 hitting percentage. She had just one attack error in the five sets of the match. Vyletel matched Langer's kill total, while VanderWall added 11 kills.
Indianapolis had a team hitting percentage of .474 in both the fourth and fifth sets, and held big statistical edges on the Chargers in most categories. Hillsdale opened the match hitting .312 in the first set and hit .333 in the final set, but it could not match the Greyounds' productivity.
Box Score: Hillsdale 3, Truman 0
The Chargers ended the weekend on a positive note, sweeping Truman State University 3-0 to close out the Mizuno Midwest Region Crossover Tournament. Hillsdale went 1-2 at the tournament, and currently stands at 13-6 on the season.
Hillsdale took very different paths to its set wins in Saturday's late match. The team led from the opening point in set 1, winning 25-20. In set 2, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead. But the Chargers cleaned up their play and were impressive in rallying for a 25-22 win. The third set was close all the way, with Hillsdale coming back after trailing 20-19 to post a 25-22 win.
Vyletel capped an outstanding weekend with another dominating effort on offense. She had 14 kills in the three-set win, to go along with a .364 hitting percentage. She also had 13 digs, stepping up when her team needed her most.
VanderWall and Langer each had 11 kills, and Bennett finished with 39 assists and 9 digs. Wiese led the defense with 20 digs.