Sept. 25, 2009 - The Hillsdale College volleyball team won at the SBC Gymnasium at Michigan Tech University for the first time in six years Friday night.

The Chargers defeated the Huskies 3-1 to improve their record to 13-1 overall and 6-0 in the GLIAC. Hillsdale, ranked 25th in the nation, will take on Northern Michigan University Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers took the first two sets from the host Huskies 25-20 and 27-25 before losing the third set 25-22. Hillsdale, as it has done most of this season, finished the match off in powerful fashion, whipping MTU 25-13.

That killer instinct has been a key part to the team's 13-1 start to the season. In six GLIAC wins, Hillsdale has lost just two sets, one at Tiffin and one Friday night at Michigan Tech.

The last time Hillsdale beat Michigan Tech on the road was Oct. 10, 2003.

In Friday's win, the Chargers outblocked the Huskies 9-4 and forced MTU into a team hitting percentage of .112. Michigan Tech committed 30 attack errors as a team.

Hillsdale's defense was operating on all cylinders, racking up 77 digs as a team, including a season-high 21 from sophomore Morgan Podkul. With sophomore DS Brogan Wells out with an injury, the splendid play of Podkul and junior Sydney Dow has become an even bigger key to Hillsdale's success, and both players have performed brilliantly all season.

Dow had 18 digs and two service aces for Hillsdale. Junior Amanda Bigney, who is now playing in the front and back rows, had a season-high 11 digs to go along with her seven kills on the night.

Sophomore Ashlee Crowder, the reigning Division II National Player of the Week, had her second 20-kill match in a week, leading all players with 20 kills and a .240 attack percentage. She also had 15 digs, giving Hillsdale four players with double-digit digs in the match.

Sophomore Clara Leutheuser had 13 kills and hit .321. Sophomore setter Apryl Schmucker came as close to a triple double as she has all season, with nine kills, 41 assists and eight digs for Hillsdale.

The Chargers' current nine-match winning streak is their longest since they won 12 straight from Sept. 8 to Oct. 6, 2007.

Click on the link below for the stats from Friday's match.

Chargers 3, Michigan Tech 1