A record-setting showing at the service line helped Hillsdale rally past Wayne State in an important early-season midwest region matchup at the Findlay Classic on Friday.
The Chargers served up 15 aces, a mark last reached by a Hillsdale team in a five set victory over Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 23, 2011, to rally from a 25-23 first set loss and beat the Warriors 25-20, 25-14, 25-23 to secure the win.
Making that total possible was a record-setting night by junior outside hitter Marilyn Popplewell, who finished with a stunning eight aces on the night. That performance obliterated Hillsdale's previous single-match record for service aces in the 25-point rally scoring era, jointly held by seven different players at six, and is the best mark by a G-MAC player since 2021.
Popplewell was a force in every phase of the game for the Chargers in the victory, leading Hillsdale's attack with 15 kills on a .371 hitting percentage and chipping in nine digs as well. Sophomore Emory Braswell added 13 kills and six digs for the Chargers, and senior Megan Kolp finished with nine kills.
Hillsdale fell behind early in set one, trailing by as much as 18-10, before reeling off a 6-1 run highligted by kills from Popplewell and Braswell to close the gap. Thanks to two aces in quick succession from Popplewell, the Chargers got as close as 22-21 but couldn't get over the hump as Wayne State took a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Chargers seized control in the second set, taking an early 3-1 lead and never trailing while outhitting the Warriors .344 to .212 up front. Hillsdale was even more dominant in a runaway 25-14 set three victory, pounding down 11 kills on .276 hitting while forcing Wayne State into nine attack errors and a negative hitting percentage.
With momentum firmly on their side, Hillsdale looked to deal the knockout blow in set four, scoring seven of the first eight points and taking a 17-5 lead. Not wanting to go down without a fight, Wayne State put together one last furious rally, battling back from 12 points down to tie the match at 23-all. But the Chargers refused to crumble, taking match point in emphatic fashion on a Braswell kill to take the set, 25-23.
Junior libero Alli Wiese led Hillsdale defensively with 23 digs and two aces, and senior Audrey Riley chipped in five digs and three aces as well.
Setter Lauren Passaglia continued her strong all-around play for the Chargers in the victory, serving up 40 assists to keep the Chargers attack humming.
Hillsdale is now 4-2 overall, and a perfect 3-0 against Midwest Region foes so far. The Chargers finish off the weekend at the Findlay Classic tomorrow, with a 9 a.m. match against Bloomsburg to open the day, and a 3 p.m. contest against Saginaw Valley State in the afternoon.
Photo by Meredith Whipper