Hillsdale's Leutheuser Leads the Chargers to the 2010 GLIAC Volleyball Tournament Title
HILLSDALE, Mich. - Hillsdale College junior middle blocker Clara Leutheuser (Hillsdale, Mich./Hillsdale Academy) earned tournament "Most Valuable Player" honors after leading the Chargers to the 2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Volleyball Tournament Championship on Sunday (Nov. 14) at the Jesse Philips Arena in Hillsdale (Mich.).
Click here for the 2010 GLIAC Volleyball Tournament Central web page
The Chargers came from behind in the fifth set to down Grand Valley State University, 3-2, in the tournament final.
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Recap courtesy of Brad Monastiere, Hillsdale College SID
The Hillsdale College volleyball team capped a perfect GLIAC regular season with the perfect ending to the conference tournament Sunday afternoon. The Chargers won the 2010 GLIAC Volleyball Tournament championship thanks to a thrilling and dramatic 3-2 win over the No. 13-ranked Grand Valley State University Lakers in front of more than 600 fans at Hillsdale's Jesse Philips Arena.
Hillsdale, now 28-1 overall, will
likely host the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament, which is
scheduled to take place next weekend.
This was an incredibly well-played match between two talented and
tough teams. There were a number of long rallies, with players on
both teams flinging themselves all over the court in an attempt to
save a point. It was a championship match in every sense of the
word.
The Chargers won their second straight title thanks to great play
in the clutch, mental toughness and overall resiliency. GVSU held a
9-6 lead in the fifth set, sitting just six points away from the
championship. But Hillsdale ended the match on a 9-3 run, buoyed on
by a huge and loud home crowd, and some great play at the net.
Freshman Caitlin Kopmeyer, who played well throughout the
tournament, had two kills sandwiched around a kill from Ashlee
Crowder to quickly tie the score at 9-9. The run continued for four
more points, as the Chargers' 7-0 run put them in prime position to
win. But the Lakers refused to quit, displaying their considerable
skill to tighten the match to 13-12.
But Hillsdale forced two attack errors by the Lakers to end the
match, sending some players jumping several feet in the air in joy,
others slumped on the ground in blissful exhaustion.
Grand Valley State won the first set 25-22, a set the Chargers led
at one time 21-18. The Lakers finished that set on a 7-1 run to
pull out in front 1-0.
Hillsdale responded with passion and execution in the next two
sets, defeating GVSU 25-20 and 25-13. The third set was a
masterpiece by the Chargers from every angle, as the team passed
well, spread the offensive wealth around and showed some killer
instinct, ending the set with six straight kills or aces.
In set four, the Lakers showed why they have been such a strong
contender for a national championship for so long, Their court
coverage was flawless, digging up attacks from all sides by
Hillsdale, ad responding with strong counterattacks throughout the
set. GVSU jumped out to a 10-2 lead in that set, never allowed
Hillsdale more than two consecutive points.
Charger junior middle hitter Clara Leutheuser was named the most
outstanding player of the tournament, after a terrific match for
Hillsdale. She had 13 kills, a .235 attack percentage, one service
ace, two solo blocks and four block assists. She had 28 total
blocks in Hillsdale's three tournament victories this week.
Crowder, the GLIAC Player of the Year, put together a
double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs in a gutsy performance.
Senior AManda Bigney powered in 12 kills, while sophomore middle
hitter Lauren Grover had 11 kills, hit .400 and had four block
assists. It was one of Grover's best performances of her career,
especially given the circumstances of the match, along with Grand
Valley's huge front row collection of players.
This match was a defensive clinic on both sides, as both teams
made near-impossible plays to keep balls alive throughout the
match. Grand Valley State had 110 digs as a team, and four players
in the match had 20 or more digs apiece.
Junior Morgan Podkul was named to the All-Tournament Team thanks
to a career-high 25 digs vs. the Lakers. Senior Sydney Dow, the
GLIAC Libero of the Year, added 23 digs and had some stunning
cross-court passes to help counter the Lakers' heavy offense.
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Hillsdale, the top seed in the tournament, advanced to the tournament championship after downing fifth-seeded Ferris State University in the first semifinal matchon Saturday, 3-1.
Grand Valley State University, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, defeated the No. 3 seed, Northern Michigan University, in the second semifinal match, 3-1.
Hillsdale College earned the right to host the tournament's final four by winning the 2010 GLIAC Championship posting the league's best conference record. The Chargers claimed the GLIAC South Division title with a perfect 19-0 league mark this season. The Chargers’ 19-0 GLIAC record ties the 1998 Northern Michigan University team for the best single-season conference record in GLIAC history.
Grand Valey State earned the GLIAC North Division crown with a 17-2 league record this season.
Hillsdale defeated Ashland University, the tournament's No. 8 seed, in quarterfinal action on Thursday, 3-1. Grand Valley State downed seventh-seeded Northwood University, 3-1 on Thursday to punch its ticket to Hillsdale.
Northern Michigan posted the only quarterfinal sweep on Thursday with a 3-0 win over the No. 6 seed, Tiffin University. Ferris State pulled the only upset in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 at fourth-seeded Wayne State University.
As the winner of the 2010 GLIAC Volleyball tournament, Hillsdale is awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament. Hillsdale, now 27-1 (19-0 GLIAC) on the season, is ranked first in the latest Midwest Region poll. GVSU, currently 23-5 overall (17-2 GLIAC) is second in the region.
