Official Midwest Region Crossover Tournament Page
HAMMOND, Ind. – With 57 matches on 10 courts completed in two days at the Hammond Sportsplex, the Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover Tournament came to a close on Saturday between the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
The Great Midwest finished with a 16-20 record as all 12 member institutions played three matches against their regional counterparts.
The statisticians helping support the event voted on the 2021 Midwest Region Crossover All-Tournament Team as the GLVC was allocated (8) selections and the Great Midwest and GLIAC were each designated (6) award winners.
Nationally ranked Hillsdale went 2-1 over the weekend while defeating the GLVC No. 1 seed Lewis. The Chargers placed two individuals on the all-tournament team, middle blocker Maizie Brown and setter Lindsey Mertz.
Mertz was the most recent divisional offensive player of the week for Hillsdale, still undefeated in the conference standings. She was fourth among all players at her position at the crossover in assists per set (11.56) while tallying 104 in nine sets played.
Brown was second in the tournament among all player in blocks per set (1.67), ranking only behind William Jewell’s Chloe Robinson. As a team, Hillsdale paced all programs competing in blocks per set (3.11).
Tiffin was one of only six teams in the crossover to go undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record against Wisconsin-Parkside, William Jewell and and McKendree. Two of those matches went five sets and the Dragons were the lone Great Midwest school to go unbeaten.
Tiffin senior defensive specialist Sam Fallis earned a spot on the all-tournament team by averaging 5.07 digs per set in the Dragons’ strong tourney showing. She led all players on the floor throughout the weekend with a total of 71 digs.
Also making the all-tourney team was Ashland outside hitter Erin Krupar, who helped Ashland to a 2-1 record while leading all players in the field with 5.45 kills per set. She led everyone by over a kill per set with the next best being Davenport’s Hayley Krieger at 4.42 kills per set. Krupar hammered down 60 kills over the weekend.
A pair of familiar heavy hitters also earned honors with Findlay freshman outside Journey Blevins and Cedarville middle blocker Lauren Willow also representing the Great Midwest.
Blevins was third among all players only behind Krupar and Krieger in kills per set as Findlay had a tough schedule. Willow averaged 3.23 kills per set and over a block per set as the Yellow Jackets went 2-1 with wins vs. Illinois Springfield and Truman State.