Nov. 13, 2010

Box Score

Hillsdale, Mich. - With a terrific defensive performance and the team's best serving of the entire season, #13 Grand Valley State advanced to the GLIAC Championship with a 3-1 victory (25-16, 29-27, 23-25, 25-15) over #21 Northern Michigan on Saturday night (Nov. 13). The Lakers recorded 16 total blocks and a season-best 10 service aces to defeat NMU in the GLIAC Semifinals in Hillsdale, Mich. Grand Valley State will face #9 Hillsdale at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 14) in the GLIAC Championship.

The victory is GVSU's 17th straight win, putting its overall record at 23-5 on the year, while Northern Michigan drops to 22-6 on the season. There have only been five longer win streaks in Laker history, as Grand Valley State won 22 straight matches twice - from Sept. 1 to Oct. 21, 2001 and Sept. 5 to Nov. 1, 2008. On Sunday, GVSU will meet up with the same Hillsdale team that gave the Lakers their last loss - back on Sept. 25 on the Chargers' home court. Hillsdale defeated Ferris State in the first semifinal on Saturday night to advance to the league championship match.

GVSU put together its second-best blocking match of the season on Saturday night, recording two solo blocks and 28 block assists for 16 total rejections. Senior Rebeccah Rapin, named to the All-GLIAC First Team for the third straight season prior to the match, recorded a career-best 11 blocks. Already the school's all-time leader in block assists, Rapin tied a career-high with 10 block assists against Northern Michigan to give her 411 assisted blocks in her career.

The Lakers also served up a season-high 10 service aces, including a career-high four aces from senior Krysta Kornack, who was also named to the All-GLIAC First Team before the match on Saturday night. Another key point of the match was that Northern Michigan recorded just six blocks and only two aces compared to GVSU's stellar efforts in both categories.

In the opening set, Grand Valley State jumped out a 4-1 lead, but NMU rallied to tied the score at 8-8. GVSU owned a slim 11-10 advantage before a 7-2 run put the Lakers ahead 18-12 and in charge of the set. During the run, Rapin totaled five kills (four assisted by senior Meghan Scanlon) and senior Leslie Curtis added a kill of her own. A double block by Rapin and freshman Stacey Catalano made the score 21-13 and the Lakers would close out the frame on a kill from sophomore Eno Umoh to win 25-16.

The second set was as back-and-forth as it could possibly get, as the score was tied 18 times and there were nine lead changes during the set. Northern Michigan led 19-16, but GVSU rallied to score four straight points on a Catalano kill and three NMU attack errors to push ahead 20-19. The Wildcats tied the score at 20-20 before Grand Valley State moved out to a 23-21 lead on another combined block by Catalano and Rapin, which followed another Catalano kill. NMU would tie the set again at 23-23 and the score would be tied at points 24, 25, 26, and 27. Sophomore setter Olivia Kohler picked up a rare kill on a feed from Catalano and after a Wildcat attack error, the Lakers took control of the match with a 29-27 victory.

Northern Michigan would not go away, however, as the Wildcats were able to steal a set from the Lakers in the third frame. NMU owned a few three-point leads throughout the set and led 21-17 before a kill from Curtis began to close the gap at 21-18. Scanlon served up an ace and a point later, Rapin notched a kill to make the score 22-21. GVSU could not get back even with the Wildcats, who were able to get a kill after leading 24-23 to close the set and put the match at 2-1.

The Lakers would not be denied in the fourth set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead after three consecutive points of a combined block from Rapin and junior Nicole Whiddon, a kill from Rapin (assisted by Whiddon) and an ace by Curtis. The block party continued at 6-2 with a Kornack-Rapin double block and at 8-2 with a Catalano-Rapin combination. Northern Michigan got back in the set at 10-7 before GVSU put together a huge 7-0 run. Catalano started the surge with a kill and then an ace, while Kornack recorded back-to-back kills. Another Catalano ace was followed by two errors from Northern Michigan, putting GVSU ahead 17-7. NMU made a tiny comeback and closed the gap to within 22-15, but the Wildcats committed three straight errors to end the set and match in Grand Valley State's favor.

Rapin was terrific on Saturday night, leading the Lakers with a team-high 14 kills and owning an incredible .542 hitting percentage. She added a pair of digs to go with her personal-best 11 blocks. Catalano (who was named a Second Team All-GLIAC choice on Saturday night) neared a double-double, supplying a team-best 19 digs (her second straight match with 19 digs), nine kills, a career-high tying six block assists, two aces, and an assist.

Kornack delivered nine kills, the career-high four service aces, three digs, and two block assists, while Umoh provided four kills, three digs, and three block assists. Whiddon tied her career-high with six block assists and added two kills. Freshman Sacha Gill notched 16 digs and a pair of assists, while Scanlon (named Honorable Mention All-GLIAC before the match) recorded 17 assists and eight digs. Kohler passed for 16 assists, while adding four digs and the key kill late in the second set.

GVSU and Hillsdale have played only one time this year, with HC recording a 3-0 win over the Lakers on Sept. 25 on the Chargers' home floor. While Hillsdale has won 26 straight matches (the longest streak in the country), Grand Valley State has not lost since Sept. 25 and have put together a 17-match win streak of its own. It is clear that the two best teams in the conference will be playing for the league championship on Sunday afternoon.