Winning championships has become part of the tradition for the Hillsdale College volleyball team, but maintaining that tradition requires continuing to bring in championship-caliber talent.
To that end, the Chargers ring in 2023 by welcoming a talented three-player class that will join the team this coming fall and look to help Hillsdale maintain its place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and Midwest Region.
Combined, Marcelina Gorny (Prospect Heights, IL/Saint Viator), Molly Kennedy (Copley, OH/Archbishop Hoban) and Greta Wise (Green Bay, WI/N.E.W. Lutheran) bring an injection of size, athleticism and attacking talent that should make the Chargers better both next year and in seasons to come.
Gorny is a 6-foot tall middle hitter who's helped Saint Viator, a Catholic school in the northwest Chicago suburbs, to back-to-back Super Sectional appearances in the IHSA 3A state tournament, while setting the Lions' school records for blocks in a season and career blocks.
A team captain and 2022 MVP, Gorny was named to the ESCC All-Conference team and earned first team All-Northwest Suburbs for her play, finishing her career with 556 kills and 188 total blocks for Saint Viator, while also starring on the club circuit for First Alliance Volleyball Club.
Along with her achievements on the court, Gorny also is impressive off it, earning membership in the National Honor Society as well as High Honors at Saint Viator, receiving the State of Illinois Seal of Biliteracy and winning the 2020-21 MobileMakerEDU Pitch Your Own App contest.
Kennedy, is a middle hitter as well and at 6-foot-2 adds imposing size to the Chargers' front line. A four-year varsity letterwinner at Archbishop Hoban in northeast Ohio, Kennedy helped the Knights to three OHSAA Division II district final appearances in four seasons, including a 2019 district title.
As a senior in 2022, Kennedy made the Northeast District first team and received Jackson Invitational All-Tournament team honors, finishing her career with 392 kills on a .385 hitting percentage, as well as 152 total blocks. The middle hitter also was active on the club circuit with NOVA Juniors, Maverick Volleyball Club and ClevelandPrime volleyball club.
A strong student as well as an impressive volleyball prospect, Kennedy is a member of the National Honor Society, an OHSAA Scholar Athlete, and on track to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Archbishop Hoban this spring.
Wise joins her older sister, Jaclyn, on the Hillsdale College roster and will bring attacking flair from the outside for the Chargers this fall after an impressive career at North Eastern Wisconsin Lutheran, leading the Blazers to a WIAA Division 4 quarterfinal appearance while totaling 576 kills and 448 digs in a single season as a senior.
A three-time All-Packerland Conference first team player, Wise also earned conference Player of the Year, first team All-State and USA Today Regional All-Star honors for her impressive senior year performance, and finished her career with 926 kills and 750 digs. The outside hitter also was active in the club circuit, playing for both the Green Bay Power and the FC Elite and helping FC Elite earn 3rd place at a USA Volleyball National Tournament in 2021.
An impressive student, Wise is N.E.W. Lutheran's 2023 Class Salutatorian and graduated early, enrolling at Hillsdale College this spring and beginning practice with the Chargers. During her time in high school, she also was a member of the Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce Team Leadership program.
Photos are courtesy of the athletes -- from left, Gorny, Kennedy, Wise