The Hillsdale College volleyball team is on a tear to end the regular season -- picking up its eighth straight match victory on Saturday over Malone, 25-16,19-25, 25-20, 25-12.
With the G-MAC Tournament on the horizon next week, that bodes well for the Chargers, who are looking for their sixth-straight G-MAC tourney title.
Hillsdale had a great showing on Senior Day to dispatch the Pioneers, pounding out 58 kills at a .259 clip to move to 24-6 on the season and 16-2 in G-MAC play.
In her final home match as a Charger, Karoline Shelton led Hillsdale with one of the best hitting days of her storied five-year career, pounding out 21 kills on an astounding .500 hitting percentage, and adding 10 digs for her 18th double-double of the season.
Shelton got strong support from her senior classmates up front. Madeline Zenas finished with a career-high eight kills and added nine digs, 11 assists and two block assists, while fellow senior Megan Kolp chipped in seven kills on a .429 hitting percentage as well.
In the back row, senior Audrey Riley served up two aces and added nine digs as well for the Chargers, and seniors Emily Susitko and Linnea Larson each chipped in three kills apiece for Hillsdale as well.
Two other Chargers had strong offensive days for Hillsdale. Sophomore Maizie Brown chipped in seven kills at the net and added six total blocks, including two solo blocks, while freshman Emory Braswell chipped in seven kills as well.
Defensively, Alli Wiese continued her stellar season at libero for Hillsdale. The sophomore finished with 28 digs to give her 628 for the year, breaking her own program single-season digs record of 624 set last year with Hillsdale's entire post-season run remaining. Wiese also served up four aces, bringing her season total to 52 -- within striking distance of 2012 graduate Apryl Schmucker's single season record of 57 as well.
Setter Lauren Passaglia had a solid match for the Chargers, finishing with 34 assists, 12 digs and two service aces in the victory.
Hillsdale now awaits its matchup in the G-MAC Tournament, beginning next Thursday with quarterfinal matches at the top seed, Ashland. The Chargers will be the two seed by virtue of their G-MAC North Division title, and will face either Northwood or Walsh in the first round deepending on the outcome of the tiebreaker between the two program. Hillsdale beat both the Timberwolves and Cavaliers twice this season, but went to five sets at Northwood earlier in the year.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan