Schedule
SF1: #5 Hillsdale (14-11, 11-4 G-MAC) at #1 Cedarville (23-5, 14-1 G-MAC) | 4:30 p.m. ET Friday, Nov. 21 | Callan Athletic Center | Cedarville, OH
SF2: #3 Ohio Dominican (24-5, 13-2 G-MAC) vs #2 Findlay (23-4, 13-2 G-MAC) | 7 p.m. ET Friday, Nov. 21 | Callan Athletic Center | Cedarville, OH
F: SF1 Winner vs SF2 Winner | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 22 | Callan Athletic Center | Cedarville, OH
 
Follow/Watch
Live Stats & Video | Championship Central
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Cedarville Roster | ODU Roster | Findlay Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Cedarville Stats | ODU Stats | Findlay Stats | G-MAC Stats | G-MAC Standings
 
Players to Watch
Hillsdale:  #2 Jenna Southland, So., MH, Three Rivers, MI/Three Rivers (5th G-MAC in B/S); #5 Chloe Pierce, rJr., DS/L, Grabill, IN/Leo (10^th G-MAC in D/S); #9 Adi Sysum, Sr., MH, Eaton Rapids, MI/Eaton Rapids (2nd G-MAC in hitting %, 7th in B/S); #15 Josie TeSlaa, Sr., S/DS, Hudsonville, MI/Unity Christian (7th G-MAC in A/S)

Cedarville: #3 Kaley Matney, Sr., S, Fort Wayne, IN/Carroll (2nd G-MAC in A/S, 5^th in SA/S); #4 Janae Heegaard, Sr., MH, Sycamore, IL/Homeschool (1st G-MAC in B/S, 4^th in hitting %); #12 Madelyn Hensley, Jr., OH, Dover, DE/Homeschool (3^rd G-MAC in K/S, P/S); #18 Alivia Rutt, So., L, Elizabethtown, PA/Mount Cavalry Christian (2nd G-MAC in D/S)

Ohio Dominican: #1 Christen Tarter, So., L, Independence, KY/Dixie Heights (7th G-MAC in D/S); #5 Jenna Peters, Sr., OH, Vermilion, OH/Vermilion (6th G-MAC in K/S, P/S); #10 Saige Avery, Sr., S/RS, Yorkville, IL/Yorkville (10th G-MAC in A/S); #22 Grace Zinchuk, Sr., MB, Schaumburg, IL/Schaumburg (6th G-MAC in B/S, 8^th in hitting %)

Findlay: #8 Lauren Foerster, Sr., OH, Salem, WI/Westosha Central (5th G-MAC in hitting %, 7^th in K/S, P/S); #9 Emma White, Sr., S, Tiffin, OH/Calvert (1st G-MAC in A/S, 1st in SA/S); #15 Hannah Miller, Jr., OH, Tiffin, OH/Calvert (4^th G-MAC in SA/S, 1^st TM in D/S); #21 Makenna Belcher, Gr., OH, Marengo, OH/Sparta Highland/Ashland U. (2nd G-MAC in K/S, 5th in P/S)
 
Scouting the Opposition

#1 Cedarville: The Yellow Jackets are in the midst of a dream campaign, as a senior class that saw early playing time as freshmen are paying off the early promise they showed with a G-MAC South Division championship and the top overall seed in the G-MAC Tournament.

The core of the Yellow Jackets is an elite offense that currently ranks second in the G-MAC in hitting percentage and kills per set. Junior Madelyn Hensley, a G-MAC Player of the Year candidate, leads the way but she's well-supported by the emergence of sophomore Allie Pilat and that senior class, led by Cassi Shields and Cam Davenport.

Cedarville also is intimidating in the middle defensively with veterans Janae Heegaard and Haley Koch both among the G-MAC leaders in blocks per set in their final campaign.

Setter Kaley Matney, now in her fourth season as a starter, directs the potent attack, and sophomore Alivia Rutt returns for a second season as the team's libero.

Cedarville is 3-14 all-time against semifinal opponent Hillsdale but beat the Chargers in four sets on the road earlier this year and will be favored on Friday. The Yellow Jackets likely will clinch their first NCAA Tourney bid since 2016 with a win on Friday but could be in danger of missing the tourney if they get upset.

#2 Findlay: A Midwest Regional finalist in 2024 that came into 2025 with high expectations, Findlay has lived up to the hype this season, with a 23-4 record a G-MAC North Division title and a second seed in the G-MAC Tourney.

Findlay boasts more offensive firepower than anyone else in the G-MAC, leading the league in kills per set by a significant margin. From last season's team, the Oilers return two of the top hitters in the G-MAC in Hannah Miller and Alana Pohlman, as well as additional quality weapons in Lauren Foerster and Abria Lomax.

To this core, the addition of graduate transfer Makenna Belcher, Ashland's best player two years ago, has taken Findlay up another notch as Belcher currently ranks as possibly the best all-around hitter in the league so far.

Directing the attack is a Findlay legend, Emma White, now in her fourth season as the team's starting setter. Kirsten Bomholt, herself a dangerous offensive weapon, leads the defense in the back row for the Oilers along with Grace Auer.

Findlay won its first G-MAC Tournament title last season and is looking to repeat the feat in 2025.

#3 Ohio Dominican: After two seasons of making the G-MAC Tournament Final as a major underdog, ODU has taken the next step this season, with 24 wins and a top three G-MAC Tourney seed. Barring major chaos, the Panthers should make their first NCAA Tourney appearance in December but are looking to bring home a trophy this weekend.

The Panthers run their offense through veteran and decorated players Jenna Peters and Ashley Aselage, both multi-year starters, and return another major attacking talent in Ashley Chmielewski. ODU has added another weapon to the attack in freshman Logan Rubel, who's off to a strong start as well. The Panthers also return all their top middle hitters from 2024 in Grace Zinchuk, Bailey Christiansen and Ava Horn, and all their setters in their 6-2 system, with co-starters Saige Avery and Gabrielle Kirker both playing a major role again this year.

Christen Tarter and Lauren Dinunzi also return in the back row for ODU, giving the team a veteran defensive lineup.

 ODU has played in the G-MAC Tournament final in each of their last two seasons but are looking to bring home their first conference tournament trophy since joining the league in 2017.
 
Scouting the Chargers

Hillsdale enters the G-MAC tournament semis with the lowest seed it's ever had since joining the league in 2017, but a ton of momentum after stunning nationally-ranked Findlay in five sets in the final day of the season and sweeping higher-seeded Walsh on the road in the quarterfinal. While there's a long path ahead of the Chargers, Hillsdale now ranks as an intriguing dark horse to both pull some upsets, and, if the chips fall their way, potentially take the title.

On an otherwise inexperienced team, Hillsdale does return three key contributors who played major roles in seasons past: senior Adi Sysum, who was part of the team's middle hitter rotation and finished fourth on the Chargers in points and second in blocks in 2024, senior Josie TeSlaa, who was one of the team's two setters in Hillsdale's 6-2 lineup and played in every match last year, and junior Chloe Pierce, who played an important role in the back row for the Chargers last season.

Retooling the front row will be a priority for Hillsdale as the Chargers lose several key contributors on the attack. Along with Sysum, Hillsdale also is giving more opportunities to sophomores Caroline Lanicek, Hannah Baker and Jenna Southland, while junior Molly Kennedy has had a bigger role in recent weeks as well. In recent weeks, the Chargers also got Ellie Fles back in the lineup after she missed several matches with an injury, and the sophomore has been a game-changer as well for the Hillsdale attack with several double-doubles. Marcelina Gorny also made her season debut after recovering from an injury to add to Hillsdale's front row as well.

Two players who missed the 2024 season with injuries are already making big contributions. Junior Emory Braswell was second on the team in kills in 2023 before missing all of 2024, and is getting ample playing time on the outside. Freshmen Madison Peal and Grace Drake have been coming on strong in recent weeks for Hillsdale, with Drake's versatility playing a big part in Hillsdale's lineups in recent weeks, and Taylor Cook also has contributed.

Coaching the Chargers for the 30^th year is Chris Gravel, who's built Hillsdale's program from the ground up and into one of the top programs in the Midwest Region. Under Gravel, the Chargers have won 11 conference regular season titles, 10 conference tournament titles, made 16 NCAA Division II tournament appearances, won the Midwest Regional title in 2011 and 2021, and reached the NCAA DII Final Four in 2011 while making the Elite Eight round in 2021.
 
Other Notes

• Hillsdale has reached the G-MAC Tournament semifinal for the ninth straight season and the Chargers have a storied history as a participant, with seven G-MAC titles in eight trips and a 22-1 record all-time in G-MAC Tourney matches. Findlay is the defending 2024 champion, having knocked off Hillsdale and ODU to win the title, while Cedarville is looking for its first title since 2016 and ODU is looking for its first-ever crown.
• Hillsdale posted its best-ever year in the classroom in 2024-25, with the highest cumulative GPA in program history and the top cumulative GPA among all Hillsdale College athletics teams. Two returning starters for Hillsdale played a big role in that accomplishment, as senior Josie TeSlaa and junior Chloe Pierce each earned CSC Academic All-District honors for their performance in the classroom last season.
• In his 30^th season at Hillsdale, Chris Gravel has proved himself as one of the elite college volleyball coaches in the country. His 645 AVCA-recognized victories rank 10^th among all active coaches at the NCAA DII level, and his .690 winning percentage ranks 25^th, and 11^th among active coaches with 20 or more campaigns. He is one of just 10 active NCAA DII coaches with 600 or more wins in his career.
• Ellie Fles missed much of September with an injury but has been indispensable for the Chargers since returning and had the finest match of her career to lead the Chargers past G-MAC North Division champion Findlay in five sets last week, hitting .463 with 21 kills and five total blocks. The sophomore has been a key weapon for the Chargers offensively, leading Hillsdale in kills per set, and will be critical to any kind of G-MAC Tournament run the Chargers make.
• Freshman Grace Drake has been part of Hillsdale's setter rotation for much of the season and has seen her role grow as she's steadily improved in recent weeks. She was instrumental in Hillsdale's five set victory over Northwood at home on Oct. 24, with a 16-kill, 29-assist, 14-dig triple-double, and also posted a triple-double in this past weekend's upset win over Findlay. Drake's versatility, allowing her to seamlessly transition from a setter on one point to an outside hitter the next, creates serious problems for opposing defenses and is a chess piece for Coach Chris Gravel to make good use of going forward.
• Senior Adi Sysum has been an important weapon up front for the Chargers so far and earned two G-MAC North Division Player of the Week honors this season, including a 16 kill, 7 block performance in a five-set victory over Walsh in the two teams' first meeting. A middle hitter, Sysum has been efficient on offense, hitting .378 to rank second in the G-MAC, with a team-best 2.45 kills per set, and has been a key player defensively, with 0.84 blocks per set, the ninth best mark in conference play and second for the Chargers.
• Sysum's counterpart in the middle hitter rotation, Jenna Southland, is emerging as an impact player in her own right. Southland is developing into a strong front row defensive player in the conference, currently ranking fourth in the G-MAC with 1 block per set and leading the Chargers in that stat. She also had an excellent week offensively in Hillsdale's three match roadstand from Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, finishing with 27 kills (3 per set) while hitting .531, along with five aces and 11 total blocks.
• Hillsdale has played well defensively at times this season. The Chargers rank fourth in the G-MAC in digs per set (16.03), second in service aces allowed (1.28) and second in blocks per set (2.15), all strong numbers in the conference. Hillsdale will aim for more stingy defensive play as it looks to extend its season as long as it can and bring home a G-MAC Tournament crown.
• Family ties play an interesting role for the Hillsdale College volleyball team this year, with several players following in the footsteps of family members who played Charger athletics. Two Hillsdale players have older siblings who are or were Chargers – libero Chloe Pierce's older sister, Sophia, is a former Hillsdale women's basketball player, front row player Adi Sysum is the younger sister of former women's basketball player Arianna Sysum, and setter Josie TeSlaa is the younger sister of former Charger football player and current Detroit Lion Isaac TeSlaa.