Entering Saturday fresh off two heartbreakers on the first day of the 2022 Midwest Region Crossover in Hammond, Indiana, the Hillsdale College volleyball team had to regroup quickly.
And the Chargers showed their grit and composure, shaking off Friday's disappointments with an efficient, composed performance in a three-set sweep of Northern Michigan that made sure the Chargers didn't leave Hammond empty-handed.
Hillsdale dominated sets one and two against the Wildcats, 25-15 and 25-17, to take a commanding lead in the match. Hillsdale's offensive efficiency was key in both sets -- the Chargers hit .375 in set one and .222 in set two with 21 total kills to pull away, while forcing NMU into 14 attack errors and a sub-0.100 hitting percentage in both set
Set three was much tighter as the Wildcats fought hard to avoid the sweep. A late 4-0 run gave Northern Michigan set point at 24-23, Hillsdale fought off four set points for the Wildcats, then closed out the match with three straight kills for Karoline Shelton.
It was another huge performance for Shelton, who led the Chargers in kills in all three matches on the weekend and recorded three consecutive double-doubles. The senior finished with 15 kills on a .433 hitting percentage and also contributed 10 digs and two block assists. Shelton was a huge part of Hillsdale's offense, finishing with 42% of the Chargers' kills in the match and as the only Charger with more than five kills in the victory.
Great serving also helped the Chargers take the victory, as Hillsdale served up a season-high 14 aces against the Wildcats. Sophomore libero Alli Wiese and sophomore defensive specialist each led the way with five aces apiece, and also led the team's defensive effort with a combined 23 digs between the two of them. Senior Audrey Riley also chipped in two aces and six digs for Hillsdale.
Sophomore Marilyn Popplewell and freshman Emory Braswell each chipped in five kills as well for Hillsdale, while sophomore Sydney Sahr chipped in three kills and a team-best three block assists as well.
Setter Lauren Passaglia finished with 22 assists and seven digs for the Chargers as well.
Hillsdale improves to 17-6 overall with the victory, and now heads into a huge three week stretch to close out the regular season. The Chargers trail Findlay by a match in the G-MAC North Division standings, but with two contests against the Oilers on Oct. 28 and 29, have a golden opportunity to overtake Findlay in the standings with a strong finish. First, however, Hillsdale must take care of business with three matches in the coming week, starting with a tricky Tuesday night contest against a dangerous Northwood team on Oct. 18.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan