Nov. 11, 2007

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#7 Grand Valley State claimed the 2007 GLIAC Tournament Championship title after defeating #11 Hillsdale College, 3-1 (30-21, 31-33, 30-13, 30-22) on Sunday afternoon in the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers improve to 30-3 overall, while the Chargers drop to 26-7. The tournament title marks the fourth in school history as GVSU also won in 2000, 2002, and 2005. Grand Valley State advances to the Great Lakes Region Tournament for the eighth straight year and will find out their seed and opponent on Monday, Nov. 12.

Hillsdale took an early 6-3 lead in game one and went up, 12-9, but the Lakers went on a 6-0 run to take a 15-12 lead. The Chargers cut the lead to one point, 20-19, but GVSU pushed the lead back to three points, 23-20. Hillsdale scored the next points, but it was the last of the game for them, as the Lakers ended the game on an 8-0 run to win, 30-21.

The Chargers scored the first three points of the second game, but the Lakers went on a 9-3 run to take a 9-6 lead. With Hillsdale leading 5-2, senior libero Allyson Riley left the game for the Lakers with an injury and did not return to the match. Hillsdale came back and took a 16-12 lead, but the Lakers tied the game at 16-16. The two teams battled back and forth tying it four time before GVSU went up, 29-27. Hillsdale scored the next three points to go up, 30-29, but the Lakers tied the game at 30-30 and again at 31-31. The Chargers scored the final two points of the game to win, 33-31.

The Lakers jumped out to an outstanding 16-1 lead to set the pace for game three. Hillsdale cut the lead to 12 points, 22-10, but the Lakers pushed it back to 14 points, 24-10. Grand Valley scored the next six out of nine points to win game three in dominating fashion, 30-13.

Grand Valley State continued its hot play in game four, taking a 10-2 lead. Hillsdale cut the lead to 16-10, but the Lakers scored the next four points to take a 20-10 lead. GVSU took a 26-18 lead and the Chargers scored the next three points to cut the lead to 26-21. GVSU scored the next four out of five points to win game four 30-22 and claim the tournament title.

The Lakers hit an outstanding .356 as a team, recording 70 kills and just 13 errors, while the Chargers hit just .108 and posted 48 kills and 29 errors. Grand Valley State posted 15 total team blocks and Hillsdale had six.

Junior middle blocker Danielle Alexander recorded a match-high 21 kills, eight assists, four service aces, and four digs. She also added two solo and eight assisted blocks, while hitting .447. GLIAC Freshman of the Year middle blocker Rebeccah Rapin tallied 15 kills and a career-high 10 assisted blocks, while hitting .500. Junior outside hitter Lauren Reber posted 10 kills, 17 digs, two aces, and two assisted blocks and junior setter Jamie Ashmore added 48 assists, 14 digs, eight kills, four aces, and two assisted blocks. Senior middle blocker Erica Vandekopple tallied seven kills, five digs, and three assisted blocks and sophomore outside hitter Kaity Gormley posted seven kills. Sophomore Meredith Young came in to play libero after Riley left and had 16 digs.

Six players were named to the All-GLIAC Tournament Team. Mary Kate Glowe from Ashland, Melissa Bartlett and Stephanie Booms from Hillsdale, and Rebeccah Rapin and Danielle Alexander from Grand Valley State all earned the honor. Jamie Ashmore from GVSU was named the GLIAC Tournament MVP.

Grand Valley State entered the contest as the #2 seed in the Great Lakes Region. The Lakers will advance to the NCAA tournament for the eighth straight year. Grand Valley has won the Great Lakes Region Tournament title five times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005).

The 2007 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball championship selections will be announced via webcast on www.NCAAsports.com on Monday, Nov. 12 at 9:00 a.m. The Lakers will find out their seed and opponent then.