After an up-and-down opening weekend, the 18th-ranked Hillsdale College volleyball team came out with focus and a mission to kick off the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach on Friday in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Chargers made quick work of two quality opponents, taking every set without allowing either Lenoir-Rhyne or Emmanuel (GA) to reach 20 points in any of them.
#18 Hillsdale 3, Lenoir-Rhyne 0
Eager to move past the disappointment of two losses to end last week's Ferris State Invitational, the Chargers came out with intensity and had their best match of the season to date hitting the ball. Hillsdale rolled to a 25-13, 25-13, 25-12 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne on an impressive .323 hitting percentage, including an astounding .444 hitting percentage in the final set.
A big part of the Chargers' success up front against the Bears came from the team's balance. Eight different players contributed multiple kills for the Chargers, including six with six or more.
Leading the attack was junior Karoline Shelton, who finished with 11 kills on a .423 hitting percentage and also picked up a double-double with 13 digs. Freshman Maizie Brown was close behind with 10 kills on an otherworldly .750 hitting percentage, while fellow middle hitter, sophomore Megan Kolp, added seven more kills on an outstanding .600 hitting percentage herself.
Senior Allyssa Van Wienen chipped in eight kills, four blocks and six digs as well for Hillsdale, freshman Amy Buffini added seven kills and senior Maddie Clark chipped in six kills.
Setter Lindsey Mertz made full use of the weapons at her disposal to guide the Chargers to a odminant performance, finishing with 46 assists, two kills and nine digs as well.
Defensively, the Chargers also had multiple standout performances. Freshman libero Alli Wiese finished with 19 digs, senior Madie Schider chipped in 12 digs and sophomore Audrey Riley added two aces and four digs.
#18 Hillsdale 3, Emmanuel (GA) 0
The Chargers continued to build off the momentum from their morning victory in an afternoon sweep of Emmanuel (GA), gaining strength with every set in a 25-17, 25-13 25-10 sweep.
Hillsdale continued to display impressive offensive efficiency in dispatching the Lions, posting their best single-set hitting percentage yet, .458, in a dominant third set victory to clinch the match and a perfect day.
Senior outside hitter Maddie Clark led the way for the Chargers with one of the most impressive matches of her career, finishing with 14 kills, one off her career-high in a single match and three more than she's ever posted in a three-set match.
Clark's standout performance was emblematic of a strong match for several Charger hitters. Freshman Amy Buffini continued an impressive start with six kills and four digs in two sets of action, Maizie Brown chipped in five kills and two blocks, and Allyssa Van Wienen added four kills and three blocks as well.
With the Chargers seizing control early in the match, Hillsdale was able to dig deep into its bench, giving freshmen Jaclyn Wise and Sydney Sahr their first official playing time of their collegiate careers, and also working in several other young players into the lineup.
Defensively, Alli Wiese led the Chargers with 17 digs, Madie Schider chipped in 10 digs and three aces, and Karoline Shelton added three kills, five digs, three aces and three blocks as well.
Setters Lindsey Mertz and Madeline Zenas split time in the match for Hillsdale, combining for 30 assists to help keep the Charger offense humming.
Hillsdale improves to 4-2 in the year, and should face tougher tests tomorrow against NE-10 conference favorite American International at 2 p.m. and event hosts Palm Beach Atlantic at 7 p.m. Both teams picked up a win apiece against tournament foes and then met in the nightcap on Friday, with Palm Beach Atlantic besting the Yellow Jackets in a three-set sweep, and should provide a real challenge for the Chargers as they look to go back to Hillsdale with a 4-0 record in the event.
Photo by Anthony Lupi '22