After a decade's absence, the Hillsdale College volleyball team is Elite once again.
The Chargers head to Tampa, Florida this weekend for the NCAA Division II National Championships as the Midwest Regional champion and one of eight teams still with a chance at a national title.
And that chance is a real one. Chaos in the bracket saw all eight top regional seeds fall in the first three rounds of the 64-team tournament. What's left is an Elite Eight that on paper has no dominant teams and as many as six squads who feel strongly that if things break their way, they will be the ones hoisting the championship trophy on Saturday.
Hillsdale is the four-seed in the bracket and draws a tough matchup in the opening round with fifth-seeded Gannon (PA), the Atlantic Regional Champion. The two teams have a long recent history that's included multiple close matches that went the distance, so it will be a real battle to make the semifinal on Friday.
Our full preview of this weekend's event, with schedule and tournament links, is below. Please note that masks are mandatory for all non-competitors in the Bob Martinez Athletic Center for this weekend's contests.
Schedule
Quarterfinal #1: #3 Washburn (29-5) vs #6 West Texas A&M (26-4) | 12 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, FL
Quarterfinal #2: #2 Western Washington (24-4) vs #7 Daemen (25-7) | 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, FL
Quarterfinal #3: #4 Hillsdale (30-4) vs #5 Gannon (31-6) | 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, FL
Quarterfinal #4: #1 Tampa (31-2) vs #8 Augusta (25-8) | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, FL
Semifinal #1: QF1 winner vs QF2 winner | 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, FL
Semifinal #2: QF3 winner vs QF4 winner | 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, FL
Final: SF1 winner vs SF2 winner | 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11 | | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, FL
Follow/Watch
Quarterfinal #3 Live Stats | Quarterfinal #3 Video | Semifinal #2 Live Stats | Final Live Stats | Tickets
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | 2021 Hillsdale Stats | Tournament Central
Players to Watch
Hillsdale: #7 Karoline Shelton, Jr., OH, Shawnee, KS/Mission South (5th G-MAC in K/S, 6th in P/S, 6th in D/S, 11th in hitting %); #9 Allyssa Van Wienen, Sr., MH, Grand Rapids, MI/Christian (1st G-MAC in B/S, 9th in K/S, 5th in P/S, 5th in hitting %); #4 Alli Wiese, Fr., L/DS, Mattawan, MI/Mattawan (2nd G-MAC in D/S, 6th in SA/S), #15 Lindsey Mertz, Sr., S, Frankenmuth, MI/Frankenmuth (1st G-MAC in A/S)
Augusta: #6 Chloe Allen, Sr., MH, Richmond Hill, GA/Richmond Hill (6th PBC in K/S, 7th in B/S); #10 Samantha Zittrauer, Jr., S, Savannah, GA/Savannah Christian (5th PBC in A/S); #13 Kylie Martin, Sr., OH, Gypsum, CO/Laramie County CC (5th PBC in K/S); #14 Holland Martin, Sr., L/DS, Woodstock, GA/The Walker School (2nd PBC in D/S, 10th PBC in SA/S)
Daemen: #3 Olivia Alessi, So., DS/S, East Aurora, NY/Duquesne University (8th ECC in A/S); #6 Sam Logan, Sr., OH, Eden, NY/Eden (5th ECC in K/S, 4th in SA/S); #12 Jasmine Brundage, So., DS, East Aurora, NY/St. Mary's of Lancaster (1st ECC in D/S); #17 Caitlin Meyer, Sr., RS, Clarence, NY/James Madison University (1st ECC in K/S, 7th in B/S)
Gannon: #4 Ashley McClung, Sr., RS/S, Charleston, WV/George Washington (11th PSAC in K/S, 7th in hitting %); #5 Ashley Beyers, Sr., S, Lanark, IL/Eastland (2nd PSAC in A/S); #8 Lauren Sampson, Sr., OH, Hilliard, OH/Davidson (2nd PSAC in K/S, 7th in SA/S); #22 Ashley Kerestes, Sr., MB, Loves Park, IL/Rockford Lutheran (11th PSAC in B/S, 2nd in hitting %)
Tampa: #2 Claudia Rivera, Jr., L/DS, Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Notre Dame HS (1st SSC in D/S); #11 Katie McKiel, Sr., OH, Colorado Springs, CO/Manitou Springs (10th SSC in K/S); #16 Taylor Fosler, Sr., MB, Ocala, FL/Forest (8th SSC in B/S, 1st in hitting %); #19 Mackenzie Dufresne, So., MB, Tarpon Springs, FL/Tarpon Springs (5th SSC in B/S, 3rd in hitting %)
Washburn: #1 Genna Berg, Sr., OH, Blue Springs, MO/South (2nd MIAA in K/S); #8 Allison Maxwell, Sr., Jefferson City, MO/Blair Oaks (1st MIAA in hitting %, 9th in K/S, 2nd in B/S); #12 Allison Sadler, Sr., S, Parkville, MO/Park Hill South (3rd MIAA in A/S); #21 Faith Rottinghaus, Sr, DS/L, Berryton, KS/Shawnee Heights, 1st MIAA in D/S)
West Texas A&M : #1 Marjani Stanfill, Fr., MB, Houston, TX/Stratford (1st LSC in B/S); #12 Chandler Vogel, Sr., L, Hereford, TX/Hereford (2nd LSC in D/S); #16 Kayla Elliott, Jr., MB, Wildomar, CA/Elsinore/Salt Lake City College (7th LSC in B/S, 7th in SA/S, 6th in hitting %); #31 Torrey Miller, So., OH, Brownwood, TX/Brownwood (2nd LSC in K/S)
Western Washington: #6 Malia Aleaga, So., S, Burien, WA/Kennedy Catholic (1st GNAC in A/S); #13 Olivia Fairchild, Jr., MH, Olympia, WA/North Thurston (1st GNAC in B/S, 4th in hitting %); #18 Calley Heilborn, So., OH, Auburn, WA/Riverside (6th GNAC in K/S, 6th in D/S); #22 Gabby Gunterman, Jr., OH, Lake Stevens, WA/Lake Stevens (5th GNAC in K/S)
Scouting the Chargers
Hillsdale: The Chargers accomplished one of their biggest goals for the 2021 season last Saturday, avenging an earlier loss to Ferris St. to win the Midwest Regional title that eluded them in 2019. Now, Hillsdale is in a place it's only been once before, in 2011, and chasing the school's first-ever NCAA team title.
The Chargers return every player that saw action in the partial spring 2021 season, including four players who were slated to graduate in the spring of 2021 but who couldn't pass up the opportunity to make one more run at NCAA glory after a Covid-19 waiver was extended to preserve their eligibility.
That core group of unprecedented fifth-year players – Allyssa Van Wienen, Lindsey Mertz, Madie Schider and Maddie Clark – is just the tip of the iceberg on a loaded and talented roster that may be the deepest in Hillsdale College history.
Van Wienen, a consensus 2019 All-American and the 2019 G-MAC Player of the Year, is joined up front by junior Karoline Shelton, who was the G-MAC Player of the Year in the 2021 spring season, along with a host of past All-G-MAC honorees – senior Maggie DePorre, sophomore Megan Kolp, and freshman Maizie Brown (who played with the Chargers in the spring) – to give Hillsdale a formidable group of hitters.
The decorated Mertz, who holds both Hillsdale's single season and career assist records, conducts the offense from the setter position, and Hillsdale proved in the spring it has a capable backup in Madeline Zenas, who was named to the All-G-MAC third team after filling in for Mertz following an injury.
In the back row, Schider, top 10 in program history in digs, is joined by sophomore Audrey Riley and freshman Alli Wiese, a breakout star at libero who earned first-team All-G-MAC honors in the spring, to give the Chargers an elite back row.
Returning Chargers at all positions have been pushed by a strong and talented five-player freshman class who've augmented the Chargers already enviable depth.
Coaching the Chargers for the 26th year is Chris Gravel, who's built Hillsdale's program from the ground up and into one of the top programs in the Midwest Region. Under Gravel, the Chargers have won nine conference regular season titles, eight conference tournament titles, made 13 NCAA Division II tournament appearances, won the Midwest Regional title in both 2011 and 2021, and reached the NCAA DII Final Four in that same year.
The Contenders
#1 Tampa: The host and nominal favorite of this weekend's Elite Eight, Tampa won the Sunshine State Conference and enters Thursday's match with a 31-2 record after winning the South Region by knocking off top-seeded West Florida in the final.
The Spartans are easily the most decorated team remaining, with 19 Elite Eight appearances and three DII national titles, most recently in 2018. This year's edition has gotten it done with extreme balance, including three players (McKiel, Kalli Cors and Sorrel Houghton) with 290 or more kills and six players with 40 or more blocks.
Ranked 9th in DII in the final AVCA poll entering the tournament, Tampa went 2-1 against 21st ranked Nova Southeastern, upset fifth-ranked West Florida in the regional final, and swept two receiving votes teams in Lynn and Embry-Riddle. The Spartans also lost to fourth-ranked Northwest Missouri St. 3-2 in their only significant non-conference test.
#2 Western Washington: The runaway champion in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the West Regional Champion, Western Washington enters the Elite Eight with a 24-4 record and on a 19-match winning streak. WWU is making its fourth Elite Eight appearance and first since a runner-up finish in 2018 to Tampa.
The Vikings have an impressive front row that stands out both offensively and defensively. WWU has five players with 200 or more kills on the season, led by GNAC player of the year Gabby Gunterman, and an imposing set of middle blockers, with Olivia Fairchild and Chloe Roetcisoender each finishing with over 130 blocks.
WWU picked up a big early-season win over Metropolitan St.-Denver, who finished the season ranked third in DII, and overcame a tough showing in the Colorado Premier Challenge that saw them lose to three ranked teams. The Vikings benefited from a series of upsets in the West Regional, beating the seventh, sixth and fifth seeds to claim the title.
#3 Washburn: The Ichabods were the survivors of the brutal Central Region, which included seven teams ranked in the AVCA top 15 and an eighth that was receiving votes. At 29-5 overall despite a brutal schedule in one of the nation's top conferences, Washburn is a legitimate title contender.
The Ichabods have a star-studded lineup, including one of the top liberos in the country in Faith Rottinghaus, a crew of excellent outside hitters led by Genna Berg, and two top-tier middle hitters in Allison Maxwell and Kelsey Gordon.
This is Washburn's third-ever Elite Eight appearance, with the most recent coming in 2018. The Central Region representative is always one of the toughest teams in the Elite Eight bracket, and the Ichabods are no exception, having handed the top team in the final AVCA poll, Central Missouri, two of its four losses, including an upset in the Central Region semifinal to reach this point in the tourney.
#5 Gannon: A powerhouse in the Atlantic Region and a familiar foe for the Chargers, who played them three times in the Spring 2021 season, the Knights won the PSAC West title and upset top-seeded Wheeling to reach the Elite Eight for the sixth time in program history and the third time in four seasons.
A deep and experienced team, the Knights are a threat to go all the way behind senior outside hitters Lauren Sampson, the PSAC West Player of the Year, and Ashley McClung, as well as talented middle hitters Ashley Kerestes and Maggie Greenfield. Nearly all of Gannon's regular lineup are players with four or more years of experience in the program, including multiple who deferred graduation for a chance at another deep run this fall.
The Knights lost to both ranked teams they played, Nebraska Kearney and West Florida, but pushed both squads to five sets, and racked up a number of quality wins in region to get to this point.
#6 West Texas A&M: One of the original NCAA DII volleyball powerhouses is back on the national stage after an eight-year drought. The Lady Buffaloes benefited from chaos in the Lone Star Conference tournament to win a surprise title and make the South Central Regional, where West Texas A&M made the most of the chance, upsetting three teams ranked in the final AVCA Top 25 to secure a spot in Tampa.
The Lady Buffaloes relied on star power offensively and defensively to get to this point. Sophomore outside hitter Torrey Miller and junior middle blocker Kayla Elliott get most of the work up front offensively, while Lone Star Conference Libero of the Year Chandler Vogel keys West Texas A&M's defensive efforts.
West Texas A&M didn't have the profile of an Elite Eight contender entering the NCAA Tournament, with few quality wins and losses to every ranked team they faced. But the Lady Buffaloes flipped the switch once tournament play began, downing two AVCA Top 10 teams to win the regional crown. As one of only two teams with a prior national title in the bracket, West Texas A&M is hoping to turn the clock back to the program's heyday in 1997, the last time the Lady Buffaloes were on top of the sport at the DII level.
#7 Daemen: This is a historic moment for the Wildcats, who are making their first-ever NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance in program history after upsetting top-seeded American International in the East Regional Final.
Daemen relies heavily on seniors Caitlin Meyer and Sam Logan for offense. Meyer, the East Coast Conference Player of the Year, leads the team with 365 kills, while Logan chips in 274. Sophomore Jasmine Brundage, the ECC's Libero of the Year, leads a solid Wildcats defense.
The upstate New York college is 25-7 on the year and enters the Elite Eight on a 12-match winning streak. Though it has yet to play an AVCA ranked team this season, the Wildcats hung tough with Gannon in a four-set loss and also beat Atlantic Region NCAA Tournament qualifier East Stroudsburg early in the season.
#8 Augusta: Much like Daemen, this weekend is a momentous occasion for the Jaguars, who had made the NCAA Tournament just three times in their history and had never made it past the regional semifinals before breaking through this year by upsetting top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne in the Southeast Regional semifinal.
The Peach Belt Conference champion, Augusta beat each of the top three seeds in the Southeast Region in succession to make it to the Elite Eight. Leading the way were PBC Player of the Year Chloe Allen and fellow senior Kylie Martin, who are the team's top offensive threats. Libero Holland Martin also plays a critical role defensively for the Jaguars.
As a team from what is considered a weaker region at the NCAA Division II level, Augusta didn't get many chances to prove themselves during the season against top competition, losing to honorable mention Embry-Riddle in four sets in their lone match against a team mentioned in the AVCA DII rankings. But the Jaguars will get an opportunity to shock the world on Thursday night, taking on top-seeded Tampa on its home floor.
Other Notes
- The Chargers are making their second NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance in program history in their 13th trip to the NCAA DII Tournament. All 13 have come under head coach Chris Gravel, who took over the program in 1996. The Chargers also reached the Elite Eight in 2011, led by All-Americans Ashlee Crowder, Clara Leutheuser and Apryl Schmucker, sweeping Atlantic Region champion Wheeling in the quarterfinals before falling to top-ranked Cal St. San Bernardino 3-2 in the Final Four. The 2021 Chargers can match that accomplishment and tie the school record for wins with a quarterfinal victory over Gannon.
- Hillsdale's quarterfinal opponent is a surprisingly familiar one for this stage of competition. The Chargers lead a long series with Gannon 23-13, with most meetings between the two coming during their shared time as members of the old GLIAC South Division from the mid 90s to the mid-2000s. They've met three times in this calendar year, all in the abbreviated spring 2021 season, where Gannon won the regular season matchup 3-1 and Hillsdale took two five-set thrillers, both in the AVCA Division II National Invitational in April, to get their revenge. Almost every player involved in those three meetings is back this fall, though both teams have brought in new freshman classes as well.
- Senior middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen is among the national leaders in solo blocks, in the top 50 with 31, and was recently announced as a second-team All-American by the AVCA for 2021. The senior already was both an All-American (in 2019) and an Academic All-American (in spring 2021) prior to this season, and continues to climb the career statistical ranks at Hillsdale, sitting third all-time in program history in kills (1,443) after passing former All-American Taryn Rudland earlier this season, and also fifth among Chargers all-time in total blocks, with 419. She's the only player in program history with more than 1,400 kills and 400 blocks in her career.
- Junior outside hitter Karoline Shelton became just the second player in Hillsdale history to surpass both 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills in her career in the G-MAC Tournament semifinal on Friday, Nov. 19, joining Cassandra Cole. The Shawnee, Kansas native had a break-out campaign in the spring 2021 season, earning G-MAC Player of the Year honors and leading the Chargers in kills, and was named to the AVCA All-America Third Team this season. Her 393 kills this season are a personal best and sixth all-time for a single season mark in school history, and her 490 digs this season are also sixth-most all-time in a single season as well.
- Charger senior setter Lindsey Mertz achieved something special earlier this season, breaking Hillsdale's career record for assists set by Stephanie Booms from 2004-08. Mertz, who has 5,170 assists for her career, already set the Charger single-season school record for assists with 1,264 in 2019, and is among the national leaders for setters once again, currently ranking fifth in Division II with 11.58 assists per set. Announced as an AVCA All-American honorable mention on Tuesday, Mertz is also close to breaking her own single-season school record with 1,193 assists entering Thursday's match.
- Defensively, libero Alli Wiese has been on a record setting pace all season, earning G-MAC North Division Player of the Week honors four times this season. A two-time All-G-MAC player in her first two seasons with the Chargers, Wiese is second in the G-MAC and is 28th in Division II in digs per set with 5.34. Her 598 digs in the season are the third-most all-time in a single season in Hillsdale history, and she needs 21 digs this weekend to surpass her older sister Taylor's Charger school record of 618 set in 2018. Also an excellent server, Wiese's 42 aces in 2021 are tied for the second-most in a single season in program history, and her aces per set of 0.38 is fourth-best in the G-MAC.