Senior middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen and junior Karoline Shelton are among the most decorated players not just in Hillsdale College history, but in the history of the entire Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Add another one to the long list for both of them.
Both Van Wienen and Shelton were recognized by the G-MAC office on Tuesday as the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, after leading Hillsdale College to a fifth-straight G-MAC Tournament title at home last weekend.
Van Wienen earned an unprecedented 14th G-MAC Player of the Week honor in her final opportunity of the fifth-year senior's storied career at Hillsdale, taking home offensive honors. The middle hitter from Grand Rapids, Michigan was unstoppable at the net, hitting a combined .412 in a semifinal sweep of Trevecca Nazarene and a four-set victory over Ashland in the final for 26 total kills and 3.79 kills per set, as well as six total blocks between the two matches.
A consensus All-American and G-MAC Female Athlete of the Year in 2019, Van Wienen led the G-MAC in blocks per set this season, was fifth in hitting percentage and in the top 10 in both points and kills among all players. She's the only player in school history in any sport to receive five consecutive first team All-Conference honors in her career, and played a major role in Hillsdale run of five straight G-MAC titles and still-active 71 match conference winning streak.
Shelton, meanwhile, is catching up to Van Wienen in G-MAC Player of the Week honors, as this marks the eighth in an excellent career to date. The junior and former G-MAC Player of the Year in the Spring 2021 season was also stellar offensively in Hillsdale's championship run, hitting .311 with a team high 29 kills and 4.14 kills per set. But it was impossible to overlook Shelton's defensive contributions.
The junior outside hitter from Shawnee, Kansas led the team in digs in both matches, tying her career-high with 28 in the victory over Ashland in the final. Her 5.71 digs per set for the weekend are numbers rarely touched by non-liberos at the Division II level, and her 4.46 digs per set is sixth in the G-MAC and the best by a non-libero/defensive specialist in the conference.
Shelton's versatility helped not only bring Hillsdale the title this weekend, but also helped her achieve an impressive career milestone. With 10 kills against Trevecca on Friday night, Shelton became just the second Charger in program history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. Shelton has a full season of eligibility remaining, so those numbers should only grow next fall.
But most importantly for Hillsdale, the Chargers will be competing in the upcoming NCAA DII Midwest Regional at Ferris State University. Quarterfinal matches begin on Thursday, Dec. 2 as the third-seeded Chargers play sixth-seeded Grand Valley St. University. Hillsdale is looking to make another deep run after reaching the Sweet 16 in the last NCAA Tournament that was contested in 2021.
Photos by Anthony Lupi '22