The annual Midwest Regional Crossover is always a consequential event for G-MAC, GLVC and GLIAC volleyball teams, with the results playing a key role in determining the seeding for the season-ending NCAA DII Tournament and which teams make the cut for the eight team Midwest Regional field.
The Hillsdale College volleyball team did itself a big favor in that regard on day one of the 2023 edition of the Crossover, beating both GLVC foe Maryville and GLIAC opponent Michigan Tech to start the event undefeated and ensure a matchup with one of the region's top squads on Saturday in a showdown that could greatly boost the Chargers' NCAA Tourney resume.
Hillsdale 3, Maryville 1
The Chargers opened the Crossover in the morning with a hard-hitting match against the Saints, as both teams hit a high percentage (.263 for Maryville, .256 for Hillsdale) and put up big kills totals across the four sets.
In the end, however, Hillsdale used its superior serving and defense at the net to pull away from Maryville in a 25-20, 19-25, 27-25, 25-15 victory.
The Chargers controlled the first set, leading by as many as nine points late, while Maryville used an 8-1 run to finish the second set to even up the match. The outcome turned on a back-and-forth third set that included several lead changes and went into extra points. Tied at 23-all, Hillsdale couldn't cash in its first two set points, but big kills by Sydney Sahr and Marilyn Popplewell prevented the Saints from getting their own chance to steal the set, and on the third try at set point Hillsdale was able to put away Maryville and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Flush with momentum, Hillsdale rolled in set four, jumping out to an early 8-3 lead and using a 5-0 run up 12-11, keyed by back-to-back service aces from junior Alli Wiese to pull away and clinch the match.
The Chargers had a big contest on the attack, including an impressive 24 kills in a critical set three. Junior Marilyn Popplewell led the Chargers, hitting .371 with a team-high 15 kills and adding 14 digs for the double-double, and sophomore Emory Braswell chipped in 12 kills, six digs and three block assists as well. Setter Lauren Passaglia had a massive outing, leading the Chargers attack with 44 assists and chipping in seven kills and seven digs of her own.
Wiese led the Chargers defensively and at the service line with 21 digs and four service aces, while junior Maizie Brown chipped in seven kills and four block assists as well.
Hillsdale 3, Michigan Tech 0
Hillsdale's offensive fireworks continued in its second match of the day, as the Chargers outhit Michigan Tech with 48 Hillsdale kills to 28 by the Huskies in an afternoon sweep.
While the set scores were relatively close, with the Chargers winning 25-19, 25-22 and 25-17, Tech was playing from behind for nearly the entire match, as Hillsdale built big leads in all three sets before letting the Huskies back in late.
It was an important statement victory for the Chargers, who were pushed to five sets by Michigan Tech in a match at the season-opening UP Open in September. By sweeping the Huskies on Friday, Hillsdale showed it's made big strides since the opening weekend.
Building off a big showing in the morning, Popplewell had a huge match for the Chargers, finishing with a team-high 20 kills on a .279 hitting percentage in the match, and also chipping in six digs. Braswell was an effective complement, hitting an efficient .529 with 11 kills as well, while freshman Greta Wise also played one of her best matches of the season, with seven kills on a .375 hitting percentage as well.
Wiese led the Chargers defensively with 17 digs in the match, junior Amanda Hilliker chipped in nine digs and three service aces, and Brown added five kills and three block assists for the Chargers.
Passaglia had another impressive game as a setter for Hillsdale, finishing with 40 assists in just three sets, as well as two block assists.
Hillsdale improves to 16-3 on the year and will get a big opportunity on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, as the Chargers wrap up the Midwest Regional Crossover with another undefeated opponent to be determined later tonight. The Chargers will seek to go undefeated in the Crossover for the sixth time in the event's 15-year history, and for the first time since 2017, with a victory on Saturday.
Photo by Anthony Lupi