The Hillsdale College volleyball team lost two tough matches against strong competition on Saturday in the Hampton Inn Invite at Wisconsin Parkside, finishing the event with a 1-3 record.

Four of the seven sets on Saturday were decided by three or less points, but Hillsdale came out on top in just one of them in a four-set loss to Jamestown and a sweep at the hands of host Parkside.

The Chargers came up just short in a competitive first set with the Jimmies despite 18 kills, battling back to 23-22 before Jamestown scored the final two points to take the set. After Jamestown took set two 25-19, Hillsdale stayed alive in the match with a hard-fought 25-23 set three victory, thanks to two late kills by senior Molly Kennedy and a set-clinching kill by Hannah Baker. Ultimately, however, Jamestown was too much for the Chargers, closing out the match with a 25-16 win in set four.

Hillsdale finished with a solid 54 kills but was outdone by Jamestown at the net, giving up 64 kills and a .291 hitting percentage by the Jimmies in the loss. Freshman Taylor Brownsword had an impressive match with 17 kills to lead the Chargers offensively, while Caroline Lanicek added 12 kills and Ellie Fles added 10. Molly Kennedy chipped in seven kills and two total blocks as well.

Chloe Pierce led the Chargers defense with 26 digs, while Grace Drake finished with a career-high 46 assists and 10 digs.

In the nightcap, Hillsdale came up short in two tight sets to open the match against Parkside. The Chargers got off to a strong start in set one, leading by as much as 16-12, and were tied with the Rangers as late as 23-23, but ultimately couldn't overcome nine attack errors in a 25-23 loss. The second set was also tight, but Parkside used a 4-0 run midway through the set to take a 21-16 lead, then held on for a 25-22 victory. Riding the momentum of two set wins, Parkside controlled set three from start to finish, pulling away for a 25-18 victory to take the match.

Hannah Baker led Hillsdale with a 10 kill, 13 dig double-double, the first of her career, while Ellie Fles chipped in nine kills and six digs, and Molly Kennedy added eight kills and three total blocks. Chloe Pierce led the Chargers defensively with 14 digs, Madison Peal chipped in eight, and Grace Drake finished with 26 assists and five digs. Ivy Rex also added three total blocks for the Chargers.

Hillsdale is now 4-3 overall and will look to bounce back next weekend, as conference play starts on the road with two tough matches at defending G-MAC regular season champion Cedarville at 7 p.m. on Friday and at defending G-MAC Tournament Champion Ohio Dominican on Saturday.