Hillsdale volleyball lays claim to PAL Bay with win over Menlo-Atherton

The Knights (2-0 PAL Bay, 9-0 overall) indeed got that pushback and responded splendidly, holding off their amped-up M-A hosts for a 25-18, 28-26, 25-19 victory. It marks the first time in modern history — going back to 2004 — Hillsdale has defeated M-A.

“We’re going to be unstoppable, I feel like, this season,” Hillsdale senior Victoria Vanos said. “I’m really looking forward to it. This is the first time beating M-A for me and everyone on the team. So, I just feel like this is going to ignite our fire even more.”

Vanos and her fellow senior outside hitter Jessica Dean put on a display of clutch heroics in Game 2, which was indisputably the most challenging set Hillsdale has played this season. M-A earned three set-points, starting at 24-23, then twice again in extra-points. Each time, however, Dean responded off the left side, earning three consecutive set-tying kills.

“I looked at my other hitter, Victoria Vanos, and I was like: ‘What a time to be alive,’” Dean said. “We’ve been waiting for that all year. We’ve been waiting to get some competition and it was great.”

With the set tied 26-26, junior setter Rianna Liu pushed the ball to Vanos off the left side for a lightning kill to give Hillsdale a 27-26 lead, its first lead of the set since an early 9-8 advantage. Then with an all-out battle at net — featuring fantastic blocking and scrappy determination on both sides of the net — an M-A player was called for going into the net to end it, giving the Knights a commanding 2 sets to 0 lead in the match.

Vanos and Dean each recorded double-doubles in the match. Dean led the way with 14 kills and added 15 digs. Vanos, while being tempered by the M-A block for a season-low 10 kills, stepped up her defense for a season-high 20 digs.

“She was picking up everything,” Hillsdale head coach Dwight Crump said. “What was key in that tight game was that when we needed her to get that kill, she got the perfect set, she got the kill.”

The M-A block was dazzling, especially in the early going. Senior middle Bridget Gray benefitted from a new alignment up front and recorded a match-high five blocks.

The Bears shifted senior Summer Prescott from outside hitter to opposite specifically for Thursday’s match, and to help contend with Hillsdale’s formidable left-side attack. And, at times, it worked, flustering Hillsdale to keep its attack out of system at several junctures.

“We really focused on blocking,” M-A head coach Bryant Tran said. “That was a big emphasis coming into this game. I knew they had Vanos, she plays at the same club I coach at. I know who she is. The practice before, we worked on blocking, blocking, blocking. We did execute very well on that today.”

M-A wasn’t able to muster a conventional attack though. In fact, in Game 2, despite scoring 26 points, the Bears only earn six team kills in the set. M-A compensated with some of the scrappiest defense the program — historically a picture of tactical precision — has ever played.

Junior outside hitter Anna Ryan personified the scrappy play in the first set with one of the top highlights of the match, producing a kick save that not only kept the ball in play to earn her a dig, but the kick sent the ball over the net to boot to keep the rally going.

But Hillsdale’s offense proved too deep. Six different Knights recorded kills in the opening set.

“What we told our setters was to move the ball around,” Crump said. “And as we set to them, execute fully when your opportunity comes because we’re going to need those kills when the time comes.”

Then in the second set, Dean was a force, totaling eight of her match-high 14 kills.

“I think the biggest thing was, I looked at my setter and I was like: ‘I got you. Game time, I got you,’” Dean said. “I think the biggest thing is just trusting each other. And I’m just so proud of my team.”

Hillsdale’s 5-2 offense saw Liu record 22 assists, while senior setter Caitlin Musich added 10.

“I think that we have amazing hitters,” Dean said. “Perfect set, it can go to any of us. And I know damn well that anyone can get a kill. I’m not worried about it. And our team’s amazing, and I’m so glad we’re undefeated right now.”