October 2, 2008 - The trip north and west to Big Rapids and Allendale is a very familiar one for the Hillsdale College volleyball team now. This is the third year in a row its made such a trip during the regular season.

The Chargers, 12-5 overall and 4-3 in the GLIAC, hit the road to take on Ferris State University Friday night, followed by a 4 p.m. Saturday match against eighth-ranked Grand Valley State in Allendale.

This figures to be one of the toughest road trips the Chargers will make this season. Few venues in the GLIAC are as tough on opposing teams as the ones at Ferris State and Grand Valley. But they are familiar environments for the Chargers.

Thanks to an odd quirk in the schedule, Hillsdale is making this trip for the third straight year. On the other side of that coin, Hillsdale has not had to make a trip to the Upper Peninsula for three years straight also.

After being nationally ranked through the season's first three weeks, Hillsdale has lost three of its past four matches, and is out of the AVCA Division II Top 25 poll. But none of those losses were blowouts by any means. Hillsdale lost to Northwood in a fifth set back on Sept. 19, and the Chargers lost a 29-27 fourth-set decision at Wayne State Sept. 20.

After a 3-0 sweep of Northern Michigan Sept. 26, Hillsdale lost to Michigan Tech 3-1 in a match that saw the Huskies win the third and fourth sets by identical 26-24 scores. Hillsdale is just a handful of points from being 15-2 instead of 12-5.

But 12-5 is where the Chargers stand, and they are still tied for first place in the GLIAC South Division.

Charger teammates Emily Bennett and Clara Leutheuser are still ranked first and second in the GLIAC in hitting percentage. Freshman Ashlee Crowder is the only first-year player ranked in the conference's Top 10 in total kills with 3.40 per set, second in the GLIAC overall.

Leutheuser is fourth in the GLIAC in blocks, and sophomore Sydney Dow ranks third in the GLIAC in digs per set.

In Friday's match at Ferris State, Hillsdale will be seeking a little payback from a frustrating 3-2 defeat to the Bulldogs last year. In that match, Hillsdale took a 2-0 lead, only to see the host Bulldogs win three straight sets to end Hillsdale's 27-match GLIAC winning streak.

Through the years, Hillsdale and Ferris State have almost always played one another during the month of October. The two teams have played one another during this month every year since 1995. The Chargers are 3-3 vs. Ferris State since 2002.

The Bulldogs come into the match with a record of 9-7 overall and 3-4 in the GLIAC. Last weekend, Ferris State ended a three-match losing streak with wins over Lake Superior State (3-0) and Saginaw Valley State (3-2).

Grand Valley State and Hillsdale have enjoyed a fiercely competitive rivalry over the years, though the Lakers have held a huge edge in the series over the years. The Lakers beat the Chargers 3-1 in the GLIAC Tournament Championship Match in 2007, an occasion that was makred by Hillsdale's first-ever appearance in the tournament finals.

Hillsdale has defeated Grand Valley State once since 1989, and that came in a memorable clash on Oct. 7, 2006. During Grand Valley State's Homecoming Weekend, more than 1,000 fans watched the undefeated Chargers knock off the defending national champion Lakers 3-0. That win was a high point during Hillsdale's 29-2 season in 2006.

The Lakers have seen very little dropoff in their talent and winning habits since then. The team has won 11 straight matches and is 14-2 overall and 7-0 in the GLIAC.

Hillsdale and Grand Valley State rank 1-2 in the GLIAC in hitting percentage, and are 2-1 in the GLIAC in team assists per set.

Senior Danielle Alexander sets the tone for the Lakers, and is the team's leading hitter. She was named First-Team All-GLIAC and Third-Team All-American last season. Setter Jamie Ashmore and middle hitter Rebeccah Rapin are two other talented Lakers the Chargers will need to acocunt for this weekend. GVSU's lineup also features two players who transferred there from Division I programs, Whitney Tremain (Michigan State) and Janelle Beaudry (Eastern Michigan).