Oct. 16, 2010

Box Score

Aurora, Ill. - In a near replica of last year's battle at the GLVC-GLIAC Crossover Tournament between the same two teams, #25 Grand Valley State upended #11 Lewis on Saturday afternoon in Aurora, Ill. by a 3-2 score (20-25, 30-28, 25-17, 20-25, 15-13). GVSU won its eighth straight match with the win over the Flyers in a marathon match that lasted two hours and 14 minutes, featured 38 ties, and 18 lead changes. Grand Valley State went a perfect 3-0 on the weekend at the Crossover Tournament, the biggest collegiate volleyball tournament in the country.

The dramatic victory pushed GVSU's overall record to 14-5 on the year, while Lewis fell to 16-4 on the season. Last year at the same tournament, Grand Valley State led Lewis 2-1 before the Flyers came back to win the final two sets, including a 15-11 fifth-set victory. On Saturday, GVSU trailed 13-11 in the fifth set before scoring four straight points (including three consecutive kills from senior Rebeccah Rapin) to capture a thrilling 15-13 fifth set win.

Grand Valley State is now 7-2 in three trips to the Crossover, including 3-0 stints in both 2008 and 2010. The Lakers have now won eight consecutive matches and 12 of their last 13 contests. It is the second five-set victory for GVSU this season, as the Lakers also won at Northwood on Sept. 17 with a 15-11 win in the final set.

Statistically, the two teams were very even. Grand Valley State led in kills (68-64), hitting percentage (.199 to .177), assists (60-59), and blocks (11-10), while Lewis tallied more digs (99-97). Both teams served up three aces.

The first set was tied 12 times, but Lewis began to pull away after trailing 15-13 and tying the score for the last time at 15-15. LU scored six straight points after a 15-15 score to take a 21-15 lead. GVSU got back to within 23-20 on a kill from senior Leslie Curtis before the Flyers scored the final two points to move up in the match, 1-0.

Things did not look much better for GVSU in the second set, as Lewis flew out to a 12-4 lead before the Lakers mounted their comeback. Curtis picked up a kill, while Rapin added three more kills and a combined block with junior Nicole Whiddon to cut the score to 13-11 midway through the set. Lewis extended the lead back to 20-17 before Whiddon and freshman Stacey Catalano tallied kills and Rapin recorded three consecutive kills to take a 22-20 lead. The Flyers bounced back to tie the score at 22-22 and the set was then tied at points 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28. Grand Valley State then closed the second set with kills from senior Krysta Kornack and sophomore Eno Umoh to even the match at one set apiece.

In the most wide-open set of the match, the Lakers trailed 2-0 in the third set but then jumped ahead 10-6 on kills from Umoh, Curtis, and an ace from Kornack. A rare kill from sophomore setter Olivia Kohler was followed by a Rapin kill, a Flyer error, a kill from Curtis, and another Rapin kill to up the advantage to 15-8. A combined block from Catalano and Umoh made the score 20-12 and closed the match minutes later with a solo rejection by Whiddon at 25-17.

The fourth set was tight throughout, but GVSU looked to pull away at 16-12 after a Kornack kill and a solo block from Umoh. Lewis, however, had other thoughts and rallied to tie the match at 17-17 and then took a 20-19 advantage. The Flyers kept their momentum going and finished the set with a 5-1 run to close the set at 25-20 and push the match to a pivotal fifth set.

Lewis scored the fifth set's first point, but Grand Valley State answered back with a kill from Rapin and two consecutive Flyer errors to make the score 3-1. The Flyers tied the score at 3-3 and 4-4 before GVSU scored on another Rapin kill and a LU attack error to make the Laker lead 6-4. Kornack's kill upped the lead to 8-6 before Lewis tied the set at 8-8. A kill from Curtis gave GVSU a 9-8 lead and kills from Rapin and Catalano gave the Lakers an 11-10 advantage. However, Lewis scored the next three points and took a 13-11 lead that looked nearly insurmountable.

This is where Rapin, who dominated the entire match, completely took over. She put down back-to-back-to-back kills (all assisted from senior Meghan Scanlon) to make the score 14-13 in GVSU's favor. To end the two-hour, 14-minute match, Lewis committed an attack error, as the Lakers earned the 15-13 win.

Rapin was outstanding all weekend, but especially against the Flyers on Saturday. The senior established career-highs with 25 kills and 11 digs, while hitting .339 for the match. She added six block assists. Catalano also produced a double-double with 21 digs and 14 kills, to go along with four block assists, two assists, and a service ace.

Kornack also reached double-digits in kills with 11 putaways, while Curtis recorded 18 digs and eight kills. Umoh supplied six kills and three blocks, while freshman Sacha Gill picked up 17 digs. Scanlon dished out a career-high 35 assists, while adding 10 digs, and Kohler also posted a double-double with 19 assists and 10 digs.

After the 3-0 weekend (which included wins over Missouri S&T and Northern Kentucky on Saturday), the Lakers return home before heading back onto the road this upcoming weekend (Oct. 23-24). GVSU heads to the Upper Peninsula to face Michigan Tech (Oct. 23) and Northern Michigan (Oct. 24).