HILLSDALE, MICH. – For the seventh straight season, Hillsdale captures the Great Midwest Volleyball Tournament Championship meaning the Chargers have won every tournament championship since joining the G-MAC in 2017.
The Chargers captured the championship after a hard-fought victory against an upset-prone Ohio Dominican team that found themselves in the Great Midwest Championship match as the No. 7 seed. While close, Hillsdale controlled the match early winning the first two sets, 25-21 and 25-17. After upsets over South Division Champion Ashland and No. 6 Tiffin earlier in the tournament, the Panthers weren’t going out without a fight. Ohio Dominican stormed back winning sets three and four, 25-21, to force a decisive fifth set. That’s when the Chargers experience proved to be too much for ODU. Hillsdale won the fifth set, 15-11 to win the Great Midwest Tournament Championship. With Saturday’s win over Ohio Dominican, Hillsdale remains perfect in G-MAC Tournament play at 21-0 since entering the conference.
Hillsdale’s Maizie Brown led the Chargers in points, kills, and total blocks to earn G-MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. 2023 G-MAC Player of the Year Alli Wiese added a team-high 19 digs in the 3-2 victory.
Hillsdale entered the 2023 tournament as the No. 1 seed taking down eighth-seeded Cedarville in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. That win secured the Chargers chance to host the Great Midwest tournament at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena for a sixth time.
In the semifinals, Hillsdale was met with a familiar foe in Findlay having played the Oilers to conclude the regular season just a week earlier. Findlay swept the Chargers in the regular season nabbing two five-set victories, something the Oilers had yet to accomplish as members of the Great Midwest. Nonetheless, Hillsdale got all the revenge winning the tournament semifinal matchup in three sets. That secured the Chargers their seventh-straight appearance in the G-MAC title game.
With the tournament title, Hillsdale earns an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Eight teams will advance to the NCAA DII Midwest Volleyball Regional Tournament. As of Wednesday’s final Midwest Regional Rankings, both Findlay and Walsh appeared in the ranks at eighth and tenth respectively. They will await the NCAA Selection Show, Monday, Nov. 20 in which the NCAA will reveal the top-eight teams after considering the final contests this weekend.
2023 Great Midwest Volleyball All-Tournament Team
Kennedi Goon - Tiffin
Alana Pohlman - Findlay
Jenna Peters - Ohio Dominican
Kelsey Shoup - Ohio Dominican
Allie Wiese - Hillsdale
Marilyn Popplewell - Hillsdale
Lauren Passaglia - Hillsdale
Maizie Brown - Hillsdale - MVP