SCHEDULE:
#18 Hillsdale College (11-2 overall, 2-0 G-MAC) at Findlay (5-9 overall, 2-0 G-MAC) - Friday, Oct. 4 7:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Webcast
MATCH PREVIEW: The 18th-ranked Charger volleyball team has just one match this weekend, but it's a significant one, as Hillsdale plays the University of Findlay for the only time in the regular season Friday night in Ohio...Over the two-plus seasons these teams have resided in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, they have separated themselves as the top programs...In both G-MAC tournaments, they have entered as the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds and have met in the tournament championship match both years...Thed winner of the Hillsdale-Findlay regular season series has gone on to host the conference tournament each of the past two years...The Oilers have turned things around after a tough start to the season, winning both matches last weekend to get out to a 2-0 start in conference play...Hillsdale has won four in a row after suffering a four-set loss to Illinois-Springfield on Sept. 21...The Chargers have won 5 of the past 6 meetings with the Oilers, though Findlay's lone win in that span was in the 2017 NCAA Division II Regional Quarterfinal match...Hillsdale beat Findlay in each of the past two G-MAC Tournament championship matches...These teams have gone through long periods of dominance over the other over the years...Hillsdale was 16-2 vs. Findlay from 2004-2014, but starting with the latter match in the 2014 season, the Oilers went 6-1 against the Chargers over the next seven meetings...Hillsdale has a 42-match G-MAC winning streak on the line in Friday night's match against the Oilers
VOLLEYS
- Hillsdale leads the G-MAC in five team statistical categories: opponents' hitting percentage (.131), assists (12.26 per set), kills (13.38 per set), blocks (2.50 per set) and digs (18.18 per set)
- It is very rare for a team to lead a conference in both blocks per set and digs per set...It's indicative of how hard the Chargers work on defense, as well as the quality of defense the team is playing this season
- Junior middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen leads the G-MAC in hitting percentage (.438) and is second in kills per set (4.05)
- Van Wienen's hitting percentage is 57 points better than any other player in the conference
- Junior Lindsey Mertz leads the G-MAC with 10.83 assists per set
- Senior Taylor Wiese leads the G-MAC with 5.88 digs per set, which would be a single-season career-best mark
- Last weekend Wiese moved into 2nd place on Hillsdale's career digs list...She currently has 1,836 in her career and trails leader Megan Howard by around 300
- Senior Hannah Gates leads the G-MAC with 1.33 blocks per set, while Van Wienen isn't far behind in third at 1.02 per set