HILLSDALE, Mich. – After earning its first PSAC West victory of the season a night ago, the Gannon volleyball team was back in action Friday evening for a non-conference battle with Great Midwest Athletic Conference opponent Hillsdale.
The match featured a battle between preseason divisional favorites, with Gannon picked to win the PSAC West and Hillsdale selected as the favorite in the G-MAC North Division.
Behind a boisterous hometown crowd at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena, the Golden Knights prevailed in a four-set battle, 25-15, 14-25, 25-19, 31-29, to extend their winning streak to nine matches and improve to 10-2 on the season.
Gannon's run of 16 consecutive set victories came to an end when Hillsdale captured the second set 25-14. The Golden Knights responded with a 25-19 victory in the third before outlasting the Chargers 31-29 in a marathon fourth set to secure the win.
"I'm really excited that we were able to come out on top tonight," said Gannon head coach
Matt Darling. "Hillsdale played us really tough, and the fourth set had both teams playing really hard, and I'm proud of the team for competing all the way to the end."
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 3, Hillsdale 1 (25-15, 14-25, 25-19, 31-29)
Records: Gannon 10-2; Hillsdale 5-6
Location: Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena – Hillsdale, Mich.
Date: Sept. 18, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Nine Straight: Gannon extended its winning streak to nine matches and reached the 10-win mark with Friday's victory.
- Strong Start: With Gannon leading 16-14 in the opening set, the Golden Knights closed on a 9-1 run. Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson), Brooke Gwiazda (Frankfort, Ill./Peotone) and Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) all recorded kills during the stretch as Gannon rolled to a 25-15 win.
- Sixteen-Set Streak Ends: Hillsdale answered in the second set, using a 7-1 run to turn a 5-4 advantage into a 12-5 lead. The Chargers eventually took the set 25-14, snapping Gannon's streak of 16 consecutive set victories.
- Golden Knights Respond: Gannon trailed 12-10 in the third before scoring four consecutive points to move ahead 14-12. Later, with the score tied 16-16, Gannon used a 7-2 surge to take a 23-18 advantage on its way to a 25-19 victory.
- Back-and-Forth Fourth: Hillsdale built a 12-9 lead in the fourth, but Gannon answered with five of the next six points to move ahead 14-13. The Chargers later went back in front 18-16 before the Golden Knights again battled back to tie the set at 18-18.
- Marathon Finish: Neither team could create separation late. Hillsdale held set point at 24-23, 26-25, 28-27 and 29-28, but Gannon answered each time. With the score tied at 29, Carlee Webber (Anamosa, IA/Marion) put down a kill before a Hillsdale attack error finished off the 31-29 victory.
- Williams Leads the Attack: Williams paced Gannon with 13 kills while adding 12 digs and two block assists.
- Balanced Offense: Gwiazda added 11 kills while hitting .333, and Wake finished with 10 kills and a .267 hitting percentage.
- Gainer Directs the Offense: Ava Gainer (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) handed out 40 assists while adding 15 digs and three service aces.
- Winning at the Net: Gannon finished with 13 total team blocks compared to six for Hillsdale. Carlee Webber (Anamosa, IA/Marion) and Gwiazda each recorded five block assists, while Wake added four block assists and one solo block.
- Fowler Anchors the Back Row: Alexis Fowler (Cranberry Township, PA/Eden Christian Academy) led Gannon with 19 digs as the Golden Knights finished with 73 digs as a team.
Up Next
Gannon concludes its weekend in Hillsdale, Mich., on Saturday, Sept. 19, when the Golden Knights face Ashland at 3 p.m.
This story was written using the support of AI.
