The second season began for the very best GLIAC volleyball teams on Wednesday (Nov. 21). Second-seeded Ashland made a good case that it could be No. 1 when all the second helpings are handed out.
The Eagles took another step forward on Wednesday, beating Hillsdale, 3-0 to advance to the GLIAC Final Four. The win was Ashland's 10th straight.
This is AU's second consecutive trip to the Final Four. That tournament will be played at top-seeded Grand Valley State. The semifinals will be played on Saturday and the championship game will be held on Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles are 24-6. This was AU's second 3-0 win over Hillsdale this season.
Ashland won this match, 25-19, 25-20, 25-23. Freshmen Alli Cudworth and Casey Clark had 14 kills each. Cudworth completed a double-double with 11 digs.
Marci Zegarac had a team-high 26 digs. Shelly DeHenning had 36 assists and Maureen Johnson had six kills and five block assists.
The Eagles had the advantage for most of the night. In the first set, AU never trailed and the contest was tied once - at 7-7. Samantha Zuber had five kills and nine of Zegarac's digs came in the opening stanza.
In the second set, AU had a 12-8 lead and reeled off three consecutive points to go in front, 15-8. The Chargers got to within 22-19 before a kill by Cudworth and an HC attack error put the Eagles on top, 24-19.
The third set was the most competitive set of the night. HC led, 18-16 before Ashland rallied and took a 23-20 lead. The Chargers got to within 24-23. A kill by Clark ended the night.
In the third set the Eagles had 13 kills. Clark had six of those and Cudworth had five. AU's .278 hitting percentage in that set was its best of the night.
Hillsdale is 15-15. Wolfert led the Chargers with 12 kills. Sydney Lenhart had 14 digs.
AU
VB/ALK
