The Chargers tallied up three more wins this week to remain undefeated in the GLIAC.
After sweeping Northwood and Lake Superior State University 3-0 over the weekend, the team went on to defeat the University of Findlay on Tuesday night to claim first place in the division.
Hillsdale fans erupted into cheers when junior Marissa Owen and sophomore Erin Holsinger blocked Findlay’s hit, scoring the final point of set three and bringing the Chargers another 3-0 win.
The first set was like tug-of-war, with both teams active at the net and on defense. Hillsdale managed to pull ahead with a modest two-point victory.
Coach Chris Gravel gave the women a pep talk to prepare them for the next set.
“They have some players that can really hit the ball hard,” Gravel said. “It’s like getting knocked down in a fight. The team that’s going to get up quickly is the team that’s going to win.”
That’s just what the Chargers did. They practiced recovering quickly from kills, whereas Findlay often took four or five points to recover from a big play by the Chargers. In the next two sets, they dominated Findlay, holding them to just 12 and 13 points, and obstructing the Oilers’ hitting percentage to just .094. The Chargers, by contrast, had a hitting percentage of .394.
Junior Jordan Denmark had the game-high of 11 kills. Gravel noted Denmark’s precision this season saying she’s “been at a whole different level.”
Sophomore Erin Holsinger trailed close behind Denmark with nine kills.
Holsinger achieved a hitting percentage of .500, far superior to a .300, a number Gravel considers “worthy of writing about.” She attributes her high average to solid defensive playing.
“The passes were perfect in our game against Findlay, so we were able to run our offense,” Holsinger said. “My goal was to just go in hard every time.”
Owen, the team’s setter, also played skillfully, picking up 33 assists by game’s end and shaking up Findlay.
“That’s the best thing as a setter–to see the other team frustrated, trying to figure out what the heck to do,” Owen said.
Hillsdale came out strong against the Lakers on Saturday evening, gaining an immediate lead and keeping it the entire match.
Sophomore Sam Siddall and junior Jenalle Beaman enjoyed six-point service streaks in the first and second sets and six Chargers made three or more kills during the match.
The Chargers finished 25-15, 25-18, and 25-15, with freshman Jessie Kopmeyer contributing excellent serves and several kills in the final set.
In Friday’s game against the Northwood Timberwolves, junior Emily Wolfert led the team on offense with 13 kills.
The first set got off to a shaky start, but on the sixth point, the Chargers showed their superior skill. After three returns from the Timberwolves, Owen tipped the ball on the second touch into an uncovered spot on the court. From there, the set took a turn in the Chargers’ favor. When freshman Brittany Jandasek came in, she served seven consecutive points, leading the Chargers to a 25-11 victory.
The final sets weren’t quite as strong, dragging on due to the service errors by both teams, but Hillsdale still managed to clinch the wins.
Senior Lindsay Kostrzewa made five kills and three block assists for the team to wrap up the sets. Denmark, normally one of the team’s top offensive players, demonstrated her versatility with a team-high of 18 digs.
The Chargers will play at Northern Michigan University at 7 p.m. on Friday and Michigan Technological University at 3 p.m. on Saturday.