WHAT: Mini-Crossover
WHERE: Croy Gymnasium - University of Findlay (Saturday); Gilmour Center, Tiffin University (Sunday)
SCHEDULE:
#14 Hillsdale College (7-1) vs. Illinois-Springfield (5-3) at Findlay - Saturday, Sept. 21 2:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Webcast
#14 Hillsdale College vs. Seton Hill (3-1) at Tiffin - Sunday, Sept. 22 9:00 a.m. | Live Stats | Webcast
#14 Hillsdale College vs. University of Indianapolis (6-1) at Tiffin - Sunday, Sept. 22 2:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Webcast
LINKS: G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Statistical Leaders
EVENT PREVIEW: The red-hot Charger volleyball team, winners of five straight, head to Ohio this weekend for a miniaturized version of the Midwest Regional Crossover Tournament...The 2019 NCAA volleyball schedule allows for three weekends of non-conference play, with this being the third such weekend...Hillsdale enterts play this weekend with a 7-1 overall record and is ranked 14th in this week's AVCA Division II Top 25 poll, up five spots from the week before...Two of the team's three opponents - Illinois-Springfield and University of Indianapols - are regional opponents while the third, Seton Hill, sports a 3-1 record entering play this weekend...A matchup with the Prairie Stars gets things started at 2:00 Saturday...UIS has a 5-3 record, a slate that includes a win and a loss vs. Winona State, a 3-0 sweep of Gannon and a 3-0 loss to Saginaw Valley State...UIS had an excellent 2018 season, going 25-8 and qualifying for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament...The Griffins of Seton Hill made it all the way to the Atlantic Regional Final last year and went 26-9 in the 218 campaign...Seton Hill had its opening weekend of matches wiped out due to Hurricane Dorian, but is 3-1 entering play this weekend...The Griffins beat Wayne State and Ohio Dominican in three, but lost a 3-0 decision to Ferris State last weekend...The Chargers and Greyhounds of the University of Indianapolis have a long and storied history, with the teams meeting each other virtually every year, either early in a season, during the crossover, or at regionals...UIndy is 6-1 coming into the weekend, with its only loss coming to Gannon in five sets...The Greyhounds notched wins over Northwood in four, Cedarville in five and Saginaw Valley State in three.
VOLLEYS
- Hillsdale has risen fast up the national polls in the season's first two weeks, and for good reason...The Chargers are off to one of their best starts in recent history and have beaten two highly ranked opponents (Concordia-St. Paul and Palm Beach Atlantic) over the first 8 matches of 2019...Hillsdale has gone from unranked to 19th to 14th in the national polls this year
- Junior middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen has been named the G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week each of the season's first two weeks...Van Wienen ranks second in the G-MAC in hitting percentage and third in kills per set and blocks per set
- Senior libero Taylor Wiese won her first G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week award Monday afternoon...Wiese notched 30 digs in a win over Palm Beach Atlantic Saturday, her third 30-dig performance of her career
- Other career-highs were attained by Hannah Gates (9 total blocks), Karoline Shelton (19 kills) and Emily Lachmann (15 kills) in that win over the Sailfish
- Gates (2nd) and Van Wienen) rank in the top three in blocks per set in the G-MAC
- Junior Lindsey Mertz ranks 2nd in the G-MAC in assists per set at 10.42
- After this weekend, Hillsdale returns home to open G-MACV play Sept. 27 and 28, then hits the road for four straight weeks