October 23, 2008 - After a one-week break from the GLIAC schedule, the Hillsdale College volleyball team resumes conference play in a much better place than it was in two weeks ago.

The Chargers gained confidence and three crucial regional wins at last weekend's GLIAC/GLVC Challenge, defeating Rockhurst, Missouri-St. Louis and Drury to improve to 16-8 overall. This weekend, Hillsdale is on the road to face South Division foes Ashland (7 p.m. Friday) and Tiffin (4 p.m. Saturday).

The Chargers are in a three-way tie for first place in the South Division with a 5-6 conference mark. The two teams they are tied with - Northwood and Wayne State - play each other in Midland at 7 p.m. Friday.

Hillsdale will only play South Division opponents for the remainder of the regular season. If the Chargers hope to capture a third consecutive South Division title, it will have to take care of business against their five divisional rivals, starting with this weekend's pair of matches.

Hillsdale is 2-0 vs. Ashland and Tiffin this season, earning 3-1 and 3-0 wins over those teams back on Sept. 12 and 13, respectively. Ashland is 4-7 in the GLIAC and 12-10 overall, while the Dragons are tied for last in the South Division with a 2-10 league record, and 12-13 overall. Tiffin defeated Findlay 3-1 Tuesday night.

The Chargers and Eagles have enjoyed a strong rivalry over the past few years. The two teams each received three first-place votes in the 2008 GLIAC Volleyball Preseason Poll. Hillsdale has won five straight regular-season meetings with Ashland, and has won six straight over the Eagles overall. That streak includes a 3-0 Charger win over the Eagles in last year's conference tournament semifinal match.

However, Ashland handed Hillsdale its only two losses of the 2006 season, those results coming one week apart in the GLIAC Tournament and NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.

The Chargers lost their last GLIAC match in most agonizing fashion, 3-0 to Saginaw Valley State on Oct. 11. All three sets of the match were decided by two points, including a 36-34 classic in the second set of that match.

As sour of a taste as that left in the team's mouth, it got a nice shot of mint gum in playing well last weekend in Indianapolis versus three teams from the GLVC. The Chargers passed and attacked at a higher level than it had in recent weeks, and seemed to regain a measure of confidence that helped them be so successful over the past two-plus years.

During the weekend, senior setter Stephanie Booms became Hillsdale's all-time leader in career assists. She dished out 124 assists in the three matches, the most she's had in a three-match span this season. She now has 4,418 assists for her career.

Freshman Clara Leutheuser now ranks 10th in the nation in hitting percentage (.378), barely ahead of teammate Emily Bennett, who is hitting .375. They rank 1-2 in the GLIAC in individual hitting percentage.

Freshman Ashlee Crowder has recorded seven or more kills in 22 of the team's 24 matches this season. She had a career-high 17 kills in that loss to Saginaw Valley State on Oct. 11. Crowder is third in the GLIAC in kills per set this season with 3.36.

Junior Kittrick Smith has also taken her game to a new level in recent weeks. She's had eight or more kills in eight straight matches, including a streak of five straight matches with 12 or more kills. She had a season-high 16 kills against Missouri-St. Louis in the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover Tournament.

Sophomore Sydney Dow is second in the GLIAC in digs per set (4.47) and leads the conference in total digs this season with 380. She had 20 or more digs in all three matches last weekend.
Tiffin leads the GLIAC in service aces per set (1.92), and is third in the GLIAC in hitting percentage. The Dragons also rank 10th or lower in four team statistical categories this season, and allow the most service aces of any team in the conference (1.72 per set).

Ashland's Marina Santos leads the GLIAC in kills per set (3.58) and in kills overall with 305. She is one of the team's most veteran players, having been a freshman on the 2006 Eagles' squad that won the Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Hillsdale.