A hot start to the 2026 campaign for the Hillsdale College volleyball team has one of the Chargers' top performers bringing in well-deserved honors from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Junior Ellie Fles was named the G-MAC North Division Volleyball Player of the Week on Monday afternoon after earning MVP honors and leading Hillsdale to three match wins at the Wayne State Warrior Invite this past weekend. It's Fles' first weekly conference honor of her career and the first honor awarded this season by the G-MAC.

Fles was sensational for the Chargers in victories over three teams that won 20-plus matches and made the NCAA DII Tournament in 2025. She finished with double-digit kills and either led the team or tied for the team lead in kills in all three contests, including recording a 16 kill, 14 dig double-double in a four-set victory over host Wayne State, who was receiving votes in the preseason AVCA poll, and a 13 kill, 11 dig double-double in a sweep of Quincy on Saturday.

For the weekend, Fles averaged 3.73 kills per set, 3.09 digs per set, and 0.64 blocks per set to pace the Chargers. She currently ranks fourth in the G-MAC in kills and points per set, eighth in hitting percentage and 13th in digs per set. She's also the only player in the G-MAC to rank in the top 10 in both kills per set and hitting percentage simultaneously.

It's a strong start for Fles, who led the Chargers in kills per set in 2025 despite battling injuries. Now fully healthy, she's aiming for a breakout season in 2026 while helping the Chargers climb the standings.

Hillsdale and Fles travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin this weekend for four more matches in the Hampton Inn Invitational hosted by Wisconsin Parkside, starting with a 12 PM CT match against Nova Southeastern, also receiving votes in the preseason AVCA poll, on Friday.