With the match in the balance, the Hillsdale College volleyball team ran roughshod over visiting Walsh in the fifth and deciding set of a home match on Friday, handing the G-MAC co-leader just its second conference loss of the season.

The Chargers jumped out to an 8-0 lead in set five and never looked back, thanks to two service aces by Josie TeSlaa and two kills and two solo blocks from Ellie Fles. Walsh broke the run but never got back in the set, with Fles combining with Adi Sysum on a third block in the set to put the Cavaliers away for good, 15-6.

Hillsdale's dominant fifth set capped a hard-fought, tense match that saw massive momentum swings back and forth throughout the first four sets. The Chargers dominated set one, rolling to a 25-18 victory on .286 hitting and 15 kills, but dropped set two to the Cavaliers and were in danger of going down two sets to one in the third, trailing 20-16 and 23-19 at different points. Just two points away from dropping the set, Hillsdale pulled out a clutch 4-0 run to tie up the match at 23, and fought off two set points to get back to 25-all. 

With a major advantage hanging in the balance, freshman Grace Drake pounded down back-to-back kills to give the Chargers 27-25 victory in set three and a 2-1 lead. That victory proved important as Walsh captured set four 25-21, forcing the deciding set five that Hillsdale took.

The stats reflect a tight match, as Hillsdale finished with 65 kills to Walsh's 62. The Chargers got the edge by being more efficient, hitting .226 to Walsh's .151, and finishing with 16 total blocks in a strong performance at the net.

Sysum had a huge night in the middle for the Chargers, hitting .481 with 16 kills and seven total blocks, while Drake added 12 kills, 22 assists and three blocks, and Caroline Lanicek added 10 kills. Ellie Fles chipped in nine kills and six total blocks for Hillsdale, and Jenna Southland added seven kills and six total blocks as well.

Chloe Pierce led the Chargers defensively with 25 digs on the night, and Josie TeSlaa chipped in 17 digs, 28 assists and three service aces.

Hillsdale improves to 11-10 overall, 9-3 in the G-MAC and remains in the hunt to potentially host a G-MAC Tournament quarterfinal with the victory over the Cavaliers. The Chargers have their final regular season home match tomorrow at 1 p.m. next, taking on Malone while celebrating graduation seniors Sysum, TeSlaa, Pierce and Emory Braswell.