September 13, 2008 - Serving as the opening of a Hillsdale College home doubleheader Saturday, the 18th-ranked Charger volleyball team did its part o ensure a double-win for Hillsdale with a 3-0 sweep over Tiffin University.

It was the first-ever GLIAC match between these two teams, with the Dragons joining the conference this season. Hillsdale won the three sets by scores of 25-15, 30-28 and 25-22. Hillsdale has won six straight and is 10-2 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC, holding first place in the South Division by itself. The Chargers hit the road next weekend, going to Northwood and Wayne State.

The Chargers started the match extremely sharp, streaking out to a 13-4 lead in the first set. The team cruised to a 25-15 win in the first set, and a quick match seemed to be in the cards.

But Tiffin showed terrific athletic play on defense, digging up many quality Hillsdale attacks in the second set, a set that featured 18 ties and 12 lead changes. Tiffin was in position to win the set when it took a 28-27 lead. But out of substitutions, the Chargers turned to a productive, yet unlikely member of its team to close out the win in an unconventional manner.

Freshman middle hitter Clara Leutheuser, who is the team's top blocker and one of its top attackers, rarely is on the court when it's her place in the rotation to serve. But she delivered back-to-back service aces to clinch the second set for the Chargers, 30-28.

The third set was also tightly played, with Hillsdale clinging to a 16-15 lead at one point in the set. The Chargers scored six of the next eight points to inch out to a 22-16 lead, and the match was theirs for the taking from there. Freshman Ashlee Crowder keyed the late-match run with three service aces in four attempts to help put the Chargers in position to win.

Crowder had five service aces in the match to go along with 12 kills and a .400 attack percentage for Hillsdale. Eight different players had two or more kills for the team, which included six kills each by sophomore Amanda Bigney and junior Hannah Barrett. Sophomore Rachel VanderWall played a big part in Hillsdale's dominant win in the first set with four kills, three digs and two block assists. Her intensity and quickness helped establish a winning tone for the team early in the match.

Click on the link below for a box score from the match.

Box score