A strong performance at the net helped the Hillsdale College volleyball team get back on track with a sweep of Northwood in the Chargers' home opener on Tuesday night.

Hillsdale outhit the visiting Timberwolves .207 to .072 thanks in part to 12 blocks, helping force Northwood into 24 attack errors that proved critical in the victory.

The Chargers led for much of set one, taking an early 10-4 lead on kills by Hannah Baker and Caroline Lanicek. Northwood made things interesting late, closing within a point multiple times, including at 22-21. Ultimately Hillsdale got three timely kills late from Lanicek, Taylor Cook and Ella Vandermark to close out a 25-22 victory.

Hillsdale trailed 5-3 early in set two, but a 7-1 run punctuated by a block from Ella Vandermark and Taylor Cook helped the Chargers pull ahead. Back-to-back blocks gave the Chargers a 17-9 lead and Hillsdale never looked back on the way to a dominant 25-12 set two victory.

The Chargers looked to be in good shape to close out the match in set three, riding a 9-2 run that included two blocks by Ella Vandermark to an 18-12 lead. Northwood, trying to stave off elimination against a rival, countered with an 11-2 run of their own to turn an 11-2 deficit into a 23-20 lead. The Timberwolves looked poised to extend the match to a fourth set, but Hillsdale had other ideas. The Chargers answered the bell with a 4-0 run that included a Taylor Cook kill and a Chloe Pierce ace to pull back ahead 24-23.

Northwood fought off two set points, but ultimately the Chargers put the Timberwolves away with match-sealing kills by Taylor Cook and Ella Vandermark.

Cook was a key player for the Chargers on the night, leading the team with 12 kills and contributing eight digs as well. Vandermark had a big match in the middle with six kills, hitting at a .667 clip, and four total blocks, including two solo blocks. Caroline Lanicek chipped in seven kills and five total blocks for the Chargers, and Ellie Fles added six kills and five total blocks as well.

Chloe Pierce led Hillsdale defensively with 16 digs and three service aces, while Hannah Baker added 16 digs and three kills and Madison Peal chipped in six digs and two service aces as well. Grace Drake played well at setter for the Chargers, finishing with 27 assists, three total blocks and six digs.

Hillsdale is now 5-5 overall, 1-2 in the G-MAC heading into a big match on Friday, as PSAC and Atlantic Region powerhouse Gannon comes to Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena for a 7 p.m. match. The Golden Knights reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA DII Tournament in 2025, and enter the week at 8-2 overall and receiving votes in the most recent AVCA poll. It'll be a great test for the Chargers as Hillsdale moves closer to the midway point in the season.