Friday night might have been the most important volleyball match in the G-MAC to date in 2024 -- a battle of division leaders and two teams sharing the conference lead for sole possession of first place with less than half the conference season to play.

And in that match, the Hillsdale College volleyball team made clear who the title favorite will be down the stretch, blitzing visiting Ashland in the first set on the way to a straight sweep of the Eagles at home on Friday night.

Hillsdale came out on fire in set one to set the tone, building a massive 15-1 lead that ended the set almost before it began. Senior Maizie Brown helped the Chargers pull away with three early kills.

The East Division leaders refused to go quietly, answering back early in set two and leading for most of the set. But every time Ashland built a substantial advantage, Hillsdale punched back with a rally of their own -- including a 7-1 run to run an 8-3 Ashland deficit into a 10-9 Chargers lead, and a 6-0 run to turn a 15-11 Eagles lead into a 17-15 Chargers edge.

From there, in a frenetic back and forth to finish the set, Hillsdale slowly pulled ahead. Senior Marilyn Popplewell and freshman Ellie Fles combined for five kills in Hillsdale's final eight points to help the Chargers take the set and a commanding 2-0 lead.

Hillsdale got off to another fast start in the deciding third set, leading by as much as 15-8 before a massive Ashland rally got the Eagles back into the set. The Chargers responded, answering an 8-0 Ashland run with a 5-1 run of their own to maintain control. Tied at 21-all, Brown came through again with two kills and assisting Greta Wise on a big block in Hillsdale's final four points to seal the match.

Popplewell played a strong match, leading Hillsdale with an 11 kill, 12 dig double-double on .375 hitting. Balanced offense helped the Chargers best the Eagles, as Lauren Passaglia chipped in 12 kills, 18 assists and three total blocks, Brown chipped in eight kills and three block assists, and Fles added eight kills as well.

Senior Amanda Hilliker led a strong defensive effort with 21 digs, and Chloe Pierce added seven digs as well. Josie TeSlaa added 20 assists to lead the Chargers in that stat and chipped in six digs as well.

Hillsdale (16-3, 9-1 G-MAC) now leads both the G-MAC North Division and the conference proper with five matches remaining in the season. While the Chargers control their own destiny to host the G-MAC Tournament, there's work to be done to lock up the top seed, starting with another home match against Lake Erie tomorrow at 5 p.m. It's also senior night for Hillsdale, as the Chargers look to honor their six graduating seniors with another victory.

Photo by Elaine Kutas