The Hillsdale College women's volleyball team finished its weekend in Florida with a hard-fought five set loss on Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers took the first two sets but couldn't hold off a hard charge by host Florida Southern, who won the last three sets to send Hillsdale back to Michigan with a 1-2 record.

Hillsdale got off to a strong start. Trailing 14-13 in the first set, the Chargers seized control with a 5-0 run that included two kills from Caroline Lanicek and an ace from Emory Braswell on the way to a 25-19 first-set victory.

The Chargers showed great composure in a tight second set, with neither team ever holding a lead larger than 3 points at any point in the set. Trailing 22-21, Hillsdale scored the final four points, three of them coming off of blocks, to take a 25-22 victory and a significant 2-0 edge in sets.

Hillsdale needed just one more set win to take the match, but Florida Southern came back with a vengeance, controlling sets 3 and 4 from start to finish to get the match back to even. Hillsdale jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the deciding fifth set, but a 6-0 run by the Mocs helped Florida Southern pull ahead for good, and the Chargers ran out of time to respond.

The Chargers matched the Mocs in efficiency, hitting .160 to FSC's .164, but the Mocs were more aggressive on the attack, finishing with 60 kills to Hillsdale's 48 and 14 aces to Hillsdale's five to pull away in the final three sets.

Senior Adi Sysum led the Chagers at the net with 10 kills and seven total blocks, Jenna Southland added nine kills and five total blocks, and Braswell chipped in nine kills and 10 digs as well for the Chargers. Caroline Lanicek added seven kills and six total blocks, and Hannah Baker finished with six kills and 11 digs as well.

Redshirt freshman Ella Byrum got the start at libero for the Chargers and led Hillsdale defensively with 29 digs, and Josie TeSlaa led the offense with 34 assists as well as six kills and seven digs.

Hillsdale (1-2) travels to Grand Valley State next weekend for three matches in the Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic, beginning with matches on Friday, Sept. 12 against Wheeling at 10 AM and Central Missouri at 4 PM.