By seed, the Hillsdale College volleyball team was the underdog in Tuesday's G-MAC Tournament quarterfinal match.

At no point in the match, however, did fifth-seeded Hillsdale look like they were overmatched. In fact, the Chargers never trailed for a single point in a one-sided and comprehensive dismantling of the fourth-seeded Cavaliers on their home floor. The 25-18, 25-14, 25-19 victory is Hillsdale's ninth straight in G-MAC quarterfinal matches and advances them to the semifinal round on Friday.

Hillsdale dominated the match at the net, overpowering one of the top hitting teams in the G-MAC both offensively and defensively. The Chargers hit .262 with 40 kills to Walsh's .078 hitting percentage and 30 kills, and forced Walsh into 21 attack errors, 11 of those on Chargers blocks.

Fast starts also keyed Hillsdale in all three sets. The Chargers led 5-1 in the first, 5-2 in the second and 5-1 again in the third, building early advantages that allowed Hillsdale to overcome its few misplays and hold on to the lead despite Walsh's attempts at runs.

Part of Hillsdale's success came from its offensive balance, that prevented the Cavaliers from keying on any one player or finding a consistent rhythm defensively. Three different players -- senior Emory Braswell, sophomore Ellie Fles and freshman Grace Drake -- finished with eight kills to lead the Chargers, while Marcelina Gorny, who's spent most of the season sidelined with injuries, chipped in seven and Adi Sysum added six.

Braswell chipped in three total blocks and 10 digs for the Chargers, Fles added three blocks and seven digs, and Drake finished with 16 assists and four digs. Sysum had four blocks as well for Hillsdale, while Chloe Pierce led the Chargers defensively with 22 digs and Josie TeSlaa chipped in 19 assists. 

The Chargers (14-11, 11-4 G-MAC) will play top-seeded Cedarville on the road on Friday for a berth in the G-MAC Tournament Final on Saturday. Although Hillsdale is the lowest-seeded team still remaining in the semifinal round, the Chargers proved they're a dangerous squad against the Cavaliers, and will be hoping to claim their eighth G-MAC Tournament title in nine tries this weekend. Hillsdale is not in the regional rankings currently, so securing the automatic bid by winning the G-MAC crown would be the only way the Chargers could qualify for the 2025 NCAA DII Tournament beginning in December.