A seventh-straight G-MAC Tournament title didn't come easily for the Hillsdale College volleyball team in Saturday's championship match against Ohio Dominican.
But in the do or die moment, the Chargers were once again up to the task.
Hillsdale played its best volleyball in the fifth and deciding set, flying around defensively and recording six blocks to secure a 15-11 victory over the Panthers and with it, the G-MAC Tournament crown.
Two of Hillsdale's biggest hitters came up big when it counted for the Chargers, as juniors Maizie Brown and Marilyn Popplewell were responsible for nine of the Chargers' 15 fifth-set points, including four blocks and five kills between the two of them. Brown, the G-MAC Tournament MVP, was all over the court for Hillsdale both offensively and defensively, leading Hillsdale with 15 kills and six block assists in the match, while Popplewell, who made the All-Tournament team as well for Hillsdale, put together a gritty performance, playing on despite an ankle injury in the first set and contributing 13 kills, six total blocks and six digs.
Hillsdale looked strong in the first two sets, rallying from an 18-14 deficit in set 1 and closing the set on an 8-1 run to take a 1-0 lead, with three kills and a block by Popplewell after returning from the injury helping close things out. The Chargers also dominated the close of set two, outscoring the Panthers 11-3 down the stretch to pull away for a 25-17 victory, with Brown sparking the run with a kill and a service ace back-to-back. It looked like the Chargers might close things out in three sets, but Ohio Dominican refused to go away, battling back to take set three and then pulling away in set four to force a deciding fifth set.
Senior Megan Kolp chipped in 10 kills and four block assists as well for the Chargers, and Emory Braswell also added seven kills.
Defensively, Alli Wiese was sensational in the fifth set, putting up nearly half of her 19 digs to help the Chargers close out the Panthers and also earning a spot on the All-Tournament team. Fellow back-row players Audrey Riley and Amanda Hilliker had strong performances as well, with Riley adding 13 digs and Hilliker chipping in 11 and two aces.
Setter Lauren Passaglia had an excellent match for Hillsdale to also earn a spot on the All-Tournament team, finishing with 35 assists, six digs and two service aces in a strong performance. Josie TeSlaa also played in the fourth set for the Chargers, finishing with nine assists as well.
Hillsdale improves to 27-6 with the victory, and has now won 20 straight G-MAC Tournament matches dating back to joining the league in the fall of 2017, and all seven G-MAC Tournaments it's been a part of. Over that stretch, the G-MAC has grown larger and stronger in the sport of volleyball, and the challenges to Hillsdale's supremacy have gotten tougher and tougher, but the Chargers keep answering the bell and finding a way to be the last team standing year after year, thanks to excellent players and a great coaching staff.
The victory means the Chargers are locked into the NCAA DII Tournament field for the sixth straight time, and will play in the NCAA Midwest Regional two weeks from now, with Hillsdale's exact seed and the regional's location to be announced at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at NCAA.com as part of the NCAA's Selection Show. The Chargers will be looking to make a deep tournament run once again after reaching the Sweet 16 in 2019, winning the regional in 2021 and making the regional semifinal round last season.
Photo by Scott Galvin