The Malone University volleyball team was eliminated from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship by Hillsdale College in an exciting four-set match Tuesday night in Michigan. In total, the contest was tied 26 times and the lead switched sides on 18 separate occasions.
 
The Pioneers grinded and battled, showing their tenacity all night, but came up short 26-28, 19-25, 25-23, 21-25 against the powerhouse Chargers, the two-time defending G-MAC Champions and winners of 50 of their last 51 conference matches. Malone ends its season 10-22 while Hillsdale, ranked 11th in NCAA Division II, improved to 24-3 on the year.
 
Recap
The Pioneers started off strong in the opening set and forced Hillsdale into an early timeout after taking an 11-7 lead. Malone maintained its edge for much of the set as a solid blocking presence paired with a nearly mistake-free offensive attack kept them out in front. Malone totaled four blocks and had just one attack error when Hillsdale took another timeout down 21-18.
 
Following a Charger kill, a controversial overturn of a Malone kill shifted momentum in favor of the home team. Hillsdale gained a 24-23 advantage but Malone fought off two set-points with kills from Anna Mallette and Hannah Eliason and later had a chance at set-point up 26-25. However, Hillsdale won three straight points, including a set-clinching block, to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Five quick Charger points to start the second set forced Malone into a timeout. After kills by Mallette and Faith Lau stopped the run, the Pioneers never came closer than three points as Hillsdale rolled to a 25-19 second-set win and two-set advantage.
 
Facing a potential sweep, Malone never backed down in the third set, winning the first four points of the frame. The tables turned quickly, though, as within minutes the Pioneers trailed 13-8. Malone continued to show grit, chipping away at the lead and eventually catching up at 18-18.
 
A kill by Eliason put Malone back in front 19-18, but the two teams tied at 19, 20, 21, & 23 before a timeout was called. The Pioneers came out of the timeout and smashed back-to-back kills from Mallette and Kayla Jarosz to win the set 25-23. Malone's victory in the set was just the fourth all season by a G-MAC opponent in 13 matches against the Chargers.
 
In the dramatic fourth set which featured 13 ties and nine lead changes, Malone won the race to 20 when consecutive kills from Mallette made it a 20-18 contest. The Chargers won the race to 25, however, ending the match on a stylish 7-1 run which included five kills and a pair of aces, two of 10 during the contest.
 
Despite the loss, Malone forced the potent Hillsdale attack, which ranked among the nation's best, into 26 errors – the third-most all season. The Pioneer defense accounted for 90 total digs and 10 total blocks while deflecting numerous attacks with touches at the net.
 
Pioneer senior libero Sydney Black scooped up 28 digs, two shy of a career-high, in her final collegiate match.  Fellow senior Faith Lau added 17 digs while twin sister Sierra Lau recorded a career-high 10 digs. Junior middle hitter Brooklyn Sullivan tied a career-high with seven blocks, included three of the solo variety. Junior right side hitter Rachel Santos added four blocks, including one solo.
 
While Sullivan and Santos each recorded seven kills on the Pioneer attack, freshman Anna Mallette contributed a season-high 14 kills in a strong showing. Classmate Kayla Jarosz added 11 kills. Senior middle hitter Hannah Eliason, playing her final collegiate match in her home state of Michigan, registered 10 kills on 21 attacks.
 
Junior setters Elizabeth Selleny (23 assists, nine digs) and Abbie Swaino (21 assists, 10 digs) paved the way for 56 total Pioneer kills.
 
Hillsdale finished with 64 kills, including 17 in the decisive set. All-Conference middle hitter Allyssa Van Wienen recorded a match-high 16 kills, setter Lindsey Mertz had 50 assists, and libero Taylor Wiese tallied a match-high 30 digs.