Box Score

The Hillsdale College volleyball team lost to a co-leader of the GLIAC South Division for the second time in two days Saturday afternoon.

After winning set 1, the Chargers lost three close sets to the University of Findlay in the Oilers' 3-1 victory at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. Hillsdale now enters next weekend's Midwest Regional Crossover Tournament with an overall record of 12-4, and 5-3 in the GLIAC.

The Chargers opened the match impressively, finding a nice balance between good offense, passing and blocking in securing a 25-20 win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set 2 was very evenly played, and the teams stood tied at 22 late in the set. But the Oilers were able to put together three of the set's final four points for the narrowest win possible, 25-23.

Findlay was in full control in set 3, holding a 19-11 lead when Hillsdale dug down and put together a startling comeback. The Chargers went on an 8-1 blitz to tie the set at 20 after kill by sophomore Kara Vyletel. The set went beyond the normal 25 point limit, as the teams continued to trade points. Findlay benefitted from rotations after the set was tied at 24, when star outside hitter Hannah Tong returned to the front row. She scored Findlay's last three points via kill in the team's 27-25 win in set 3. Tong led all players in the matc with 17 kills.

The Oilers built another big lead in the fourth set, only to see the Chargers mount another comeback. Findlay led 21-12, only to see Hillsdale cut that lead down to 24-20 after an Erin Holsinger ace. But the 8-3 run was too little, too late for the home team.

The Chargers' blocking game was on point, as the team amassed 24 block assists as a team, a season-high for a four-set match. Senior Kyra Rodi recorded a career-high 8 block assists, while sophomore Taylor Bennett had a career-high 5. Holsinger and junior Jackie Langer had 4 apiece.

Vyletel led Hillsdale with 14 kills, while sophomore Paige VanderWall had 11 kills, 7 digs, 3 block assists and a service ace for the Chargers. Bennett had 39 assists, while freshman libero Taylor Wiese did an excellent job of coverage and on serve reception, finishing with a team-high 20 digs.

UP NEXT: Hillsdale plays at the Midwest Regional Crossover in Aurora, Illinois next weekend.

PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Vyletel