With everything to play for in a showdown on Saturday, the Hillsdale College volleyball team left no doubts about who the best team in the G-MAC regular season campaign was in 2024.

Blowing past the only team still capable of overtaking them in the standings, Findlay, in a 25-17, 25-17, 25-23 sweep at home, Hillsdale clinched a share of both the G-MAC North Division and outright G-MAC regular season crowns, and also locked down the top seed for the upcoming G-MAC Tournament with the victory.

Hillsdale is two matches up on Northwood and Ashland in the standings with two matches to play, and owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over both, ensuring the G-MAC Tourney will be on the Chargers' home floor for as long as Hillsdale remains in the competition.

It's the seventh G-MAC regular season title in eight seasons for the Chargers, and it sets Hillsdale up nicely as the Chargers look to claim an eighth-straight G-MAC Tourney title.

The key to the win over the Oilers was Hillsdale's offensive efficiency. Findlay actually finished with 44 kills to Hillsdale's 40, but committed 23 attack errors to the Chargers' 7 and hit just .178 to Hillsdale's .324, allowing Hillsdale to comfortably outpace the Oilers across three sets.

Of course, Hillsdale had a lot to do with Findlay's errors, as the Chargers recorded 13 blocks to dominate the net defensively and seize control at crucial points throughout the sets.

The Chargers were incredibly balanced offensively, with six players contributing four or more kills. Senior Lauren Passaglia led the way with 10 on an impressive .563 hitting and also recorded 18 assists for the Chargers, while sophomore Greta Wise hit .583 with eight kills and senior Marilyn Popplewell added eight kills and three total blocks as well. 

Senior Maizie Brown was a huge two-way presence for the Chargers for the second-straight match, finishing with six kills on .500 hitting and also keying the Chargers' block with four solo blocks and six total blocks on the night.

Libero Amanda Hilliker played an excellent match for Hillsdale, leading the Charers' defense with 20 digs, junior Josie TeSlaa chipped in 19 assists and junior Adi Sysum added four total blocks as well.

The Chargers are now 19-3 overall, 12-1 in G-MAC play and will aim to clinch the outright North Division and G-MAC regular season crowns at Walsh with a 6 p.m. match on Friday. While no result can deprive Hillsdale of the top seed in the G-MAC tournament in the final week of the regular season, the Chargers still have plenty to play for as Hillsdale looks to stack wins to bolster its own case for a high seed in the NCAA DII Midwest Regional in the first week of December.

Photo by Vinny Hill