Box Score

Two terrific offensive performances weren't enough for the Hillsdale College volleyball team Friday night in Ohio.

After winning a thrilling first set, the Chargers lost three straight, losing 3-1 to Tiffin University. Hillsdale now sits at 13-7 overall and 5-4 in the GLIAC. It is the first time the Chargers have lost to the Dragons since Tiffin joined the GLIAC in the 2008 season.

The match began with the longest set of Hillsdale's season, a 32-30 win for the Chargers. The team hit .255 compared to .153 for the Dragons in the opening set, but Hillsdale was unable to sustain a high level of play for extended periods from that point.

Tiffin took set 2 25-18, but Hillsdale got off to good starts in both sets 3 and 4. The Chargers held leads of 14-8 in both sets, but both times, the Dragons used long scoring runs in the middle of sets to erase the deficit and put Hillsdale away.

The Chargers hit .104 as a team in sets 3 and 4 combined, got outblocked 9-8 and had 13 combined errors in the serving game.

The loss spoiled two outstanding offensive performances by sophomores Kara Vyletel and Paige VanderWall. Vyletel notched her third 20-kill match of the season, finishing with exactly 20. She's the first Charger with three 20-kill matches in a single season since former All-American Ashlee Crowder had five during the 2009 season.

VanderWall hit a new high point in terms of productivity and efficiency. The sophomore right-side hitter had 15 kills against just one error, good for a .519 hitting percentage. She's never had that many kills in a match with that high of a hitting percentage.

However, outside of Vyletel and VanderWall (35 combined kills), the rest of the Chargers finished with 23 kills and 19 hitting errors.

Sophomore setter Taylor Bennett had 49 assists and 10 digs, while VanderWall recorded a double-double, tying a season-high with 10 digs. Freshman libero Taylor Wiese led the defense with 20 digs.

UP NEXT: Hillsdale plays at Ashland at 2 p.m. Saturday

PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Vyletel