Against a dangerous opponent, the 22nd-ranked Hillsdale College volleyball team put together one of its best hitting performances this season to stay unbeaten in the G-MAC.
The Chargers hit .301 and finished with 63 kills in four sets to take down North Division rival Northwood, 25-7, 25-27, 25-20, 25-22 in a crucial conference contest at home on Tuesday.
Four players finished with double-digit kills for the Chargers, whose firepower at the net was enough to overcome a game effort from the Timberwolves on the night. Senior Karoline Shelton led with 17 kills, 10 digs and two block assists, sophomore Marilyn Popplewell chipped in 16 kills, and senior Megan Kolp added 13 kills for the Chargers.
Sophomore Maizie Brown rounded out the offensive tour de force for Hillsdale with 11 kills on a .688 hitting percentage and five block assists.
Directing it all for the Chargers was sophomore Lauren Passaglia, whose 59 assists were just two off the Chargers' single match record of 61 assists set in 2018 by Lindsey Mertz. Passaglia also added nine digs and two aces.
The Chargers served notice right away in the match with a dominant set one victory, hitting an incredible .429 at the net to beat Northwood 25-7 and take a big early advantage.
Hillsdale led 16-10 at one point in set two, looking like they might be on the way to a comfortable sweep, but Northwood had other plans. The Timberwolves went on a 14-4 run to turn a six point deficit into a 24-20 advantage, and although Hillsdale was able to fight off four consecutive set points to extend the set, eventually the Timberwolves earned a 27-25 victory and evened up the contest.
That led into a tense, back-and-forth final two sets. In both, Hillsdale struggled to pull away from a determined Northwood team, but better execution late by the Chargers allowed Hillsdale to pull out both sets and take the victory. Hillsdale scored three of the final four points in set three, all on kills, and scored five of the final seven points in set four to close out the Timberwolves.
Defensively, libero Alli Wiese led the Chargers with 22 digs, and Amy Buffini chipped in 11 as well in the back row for Hillsdale.
Along with a prolific number of kills, Hillsdale's efficiency also put Hillsdale over the top. The Chargers committed just 17 attack errors to Northwood's 29 and were the cleaner team offensively throughout the contest.
Now 14-2 overall, and 7-0 in the G-MAC, Hillsdale remains tied with Findlay atop the North Division, and tied with both the Oilers and Ashland for the best record in the conference. The Chargers now embark on a long road trip that includes the Midwest Regional Crossover in two weeks, starting with a match at a dangerous Cedarville team on Friday, Sept. 30 at 4:30 p.m.
Photo by Anthony Lupi