Chargers fall in second round of NCAA tournament

By Isaac Green

Assistant Editor

After a thrilling first round win in the NCAA tournament, the Hillsdale volleyball team suffered a season ending loss at the hands of the Ferris State Bulldogs.

The Chargers entered the Midwest Regional on Nov. 18 as the defending champions after last year's trip to the Elite Eight. With the help of a program-best 28 match kills from sophomore outside hitter Marilyn Popplewell, they defeated the Lewis Flyers in the first round but were eliminated from the tournament the following day in a four-set loss.

“The strength of a winning team is how quickly they can recover, because there's mistakes made every single set, no matter how good you are,” head coach Chris Gravel said. “Our ability to recover started taking us longer and that was the difference in the match.”

Despite the quick exit from the tournament, the Chargers were able to celebrate several team members for their performances this season on and off the court. Senior outside hitter Karoline Shelton earned D2CCA All-Region Second Team honors, Popplewell and sophomore libero Alli Wiese earned CSC Academic All-District honors, and both Shelton and Wiese received AVCA All-Midwest Region honors.

The All-Midwest Region honors also placed Shelton and Wiese under consideration for AVCA All-American status. Shelton was ultimately placed on the All-America third team while Wiese was named as an honorable mention.

Going into the first round of the NCAA tournament the Chargers were ranked as the underdogs against a Flyers team that beat them in a five-set match earlier this season.

“We went into that game knowing everyone expected us to lose so we played with no expectations which helped us close out the match in the end,” Shelton said.

After a decisive 25-16 first-set win, Hillsdale swapped sets with Lewis and eventually forced a fifth-set showdown. This made for one of the Chargers’ most intense matches of the season.

The score was tied thirteen times during the set, with both teams struggling to gain an advantage. The Chargers prevailed, though, taking the set 20-18.

“I am so proud of my team for being able to fight all the way to the end and come out on top,” Wiese said. “Fighting off four match points for Lewis isn't something a team without grit and fight can do. It was truly incredible.”

On the heels of this win, the Chargers prepared to face the same team they had beaten a year prior in the Midwest Regional Championship. The Ferris State Bulldogs entered the NCAA tournament as the three seed — four ranks higher than Hillsdale — but the Chargers were familiar with the Bulldogs, having beat them in a four-set win at the beginning of the 2022 season.

“After coming off a five set winner where you face four elimination points and come back and win a match, it's really easy to come in on a mental low, setup that you're not going to perform well the next next set,” Gravel said. “But we grinded it out, and we won that first set.”

Despite the early 1-0 lead, however, the Chargers lost sets two, three, and four after controlling leads in all of them heading into the back half of play.

“As the match went on, it just almost looked like we got a little bit tired mentally, and we just weren't quite as sharp,” Gravel said.

For the senior class, which includes Shelton, middle hitters Linnea Larson and Megan Kolp, outside hitters Madeline Zenas and Emily Susitko, and setter Audrey Riley, this loss marked their final matches as Chargers.

“I am really grateful that this was the team I got to end my career with,” Shelton said. “They taught me so much about myself and how to be a great teammate. I am very grateful for my time as a Hillsdale College Volleyball Player and that I got to play under Coach Gravel but I am so excited to see all the great things the returning players will do in their careers.”

Heading into the offseason, Gravel said that the staff will be working to fine tune each of the individual players.

“We do a lot of individual meetings and kind of take inventory on where we're at physically, mentally,’ Gravel said. “It's that simple, but it comes with a lot of pain. So we’re preparing to create those situations for them all winter long.” The 2022 season was full of many outstanding achievements for the Chargers, and Wiese said that she looks back on the season positively.

“I am just so proud of this team,” Wiese said. “We exceeded the expectations that everyone thought we would achieve. To win a GMAC championship again is just such a blessing and we worked so hard all year to achieve it. None of this would have been possible without our consistent drive to get better as a team. I loved this season, and I am so thankful for everyone on our team. And of course, thank you to our seniors for their constant support and leadership.”