For the second straight night, the Hillsdale College volleyball team found themselves in a NCAA Tournament match being decided by razor-thin margins.
This time, however, the Chargers couldn't get the breaks to fall their way, as third-seeded Ferris State stopped Hillsdale's NCAA Tournament run in a 27-25, 23-25, 25-27, 21-25 defeat.
While Ferris State won in four sets, the set scores tell how close this match was -- just four points moving differently Hillsdale's way in sets two and three, or two points moving differently in set one, turn this match for a sweep in either direction.
Set one was predictive of the entire match, a back-and-forth affair with multiple lead changes. Ferris State thought it had the set won when it took a 24-22 lead late, but Hillsdale got back-to-back kills from Marilyn Popplewell to tie up the set, then pulled ahead for good on a kill by senior Linnea Larson and a block by Larson and Madeline Zenas to take a 1-0 lead.
Hillsdale came out firing in set two, looking to seize decisive control of the match, and built a 20-16 lead late. But back-to-back blocks reenergized the Bulldogs to even the score, then, trailing 22-20, Ferris Sate scored five of the final six points to pull out a tight set and tie up the match.
Set three was another thriller. It looked like the Chargers were going to come back from another 24-22 deficit, as senior Karoline Shelton delivered back-to-back kills as part of a three point Hillsdale run that gave them set point at 25-24, but Ferris had a rally of their own, reeling off three straight points to take a 27-25 set three victory and a 2-1 edge.
Looking to force a decisive fifth set, Hillsdale started set four strong, jumping out to a 16-12 lead. But ultimately the Bulldogs' hitting proved to be too much, as Ferris reeled off seven straight points to take a 19-16 edge. The Chargers refused to go quietly, battling back to a 20-20 tie, but once again Ferris scored five of the last six points in the set to seal the victory and advance.
It's a testatment to the Chargers' grit and willingness to battle that Hillsdale was so close to taking the match. Ferris State had a significant edge at the net, outhitting Hillsdale with 66 kills and a .251 hitting percentage to the Chargers' 55 kills and .171 hitting percentage, while also finishing with 12 blocks to Hillsdale's eight. But despite being outplayed offensively and defensively, Hillsdale still nearly pulled out the victory thanks to a clean serving night that included seven aces, as well as a never-say-die attitude and a willingness to extend points and keep fighting until a way to keep pace on the scoreboard presented itself.
In the final match of a star-studded career in a Hillsdale uniform, Karoline Shelton led the way for the Chargers, posting a double-double with 17 kills and 15 digs. She graduates as one of only three Chargers to surpass 1,500 kills for her career, and one of only two Hillsdale players to surpass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career.
Sophomore Marilyn Popplewell also had a solid outing, finishing with 12 kills as well, and fellow sophomore Maizie Brown had a strong night at the net as well, hitting .500 with eight kills and three block assists. Seniors Madeline Zenas and Megan Kolp each contributed five kills as well for the Chargers in their final match.
Defensively, sophomore libero Alli Wiese led the Chargers with 20 digs, while defensive specialist Amy Buffini chipped in 12 digs and Amanda Hilliker added 10. Setter Lauren Passaglia had a great all-around match for the Chargers, totaling 38 assists and leading the team with three aces, while also contributing six kills and 11 digs.
Hillsdale finishes the season 28-7, having repeated as G-MAC Tournament champions for the sixth straight season, and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year. Hillsdale graduates six seniors, including three All-G-MAC players in Shelton, Larson and Kolp, as well as lineup regulars in Zenas and Audrey Riley. But the Chargers have several strong pieces returning to next year's squad, including Wiese, one of the country's top liberos, Passaglia, who should only get stronger in her second season as the starting setter, and Popplewell, who set the program single-match record for kills on Thursday and will continue to improve as well.
Photo by Denny Sinnock