Oct. 21, 2011

Box Score |  Postgame Comments

Allendale, Mich. - The Grand Valley State volleyball team took out some frustrations from a three-match losing streak on Michigan Tech on Friday (Oct. 21), sweeping the Huskies in straight sets (26-24, 25-15, 25-17).

The story of the match was sophomore Abby Ebels, who matched a 14-year old Division II record for the most kills in a match with a perfect hitting percentage. Ebels had four kills in each of the first two sets and five kills in the final stanza to finish with 13 kills in 13 attempts for a 1.000 hitting percentage. A perfect hitting percentage with that many kills has only been done one other time in Division II history, when Kim Merrill from South Carolina-Aiken went 13-for-13 in a match against North Carolina Central on October 18, 1997.

Only two other performances across all NCAA divisions have ever been better, with one 15-kill performance and one 14-kill performance with a perfect hitting percentage.

It looked like the Lakers were in for a battle as the match began, swapping points back and forth up to a 3-3 tie. A block from sophomore Megan Schroeder and junior Eno Umoh kick started a three point run for the Lakers to gain a 6-3 advantage and it was extended all the way out to a 13-7 lead for the Lakers after a Schroeder kill later in the set.

The Huskies fought back however, taking a 23-21 advantage of their own late in the set after a bad set from the Lakers. On the verge of dropping the first set, the Lakers got a kill from freshman Abby Aiken and a bad set from Michigan Tech to tie it up at 23. A Huskie attack error put the Lakers up 24-23 and after the set went to extra points with the Lakers up 25-24, a kill from Umoh put the hard-fought set away for the Lakers.

GVSU hit .417 in the first set with only one attack error as a team, collecting 16 kills on 36 attempts.

In set two, the Lakers trailed 3-1 before scoring three straight to jump ahead by a 4-3 advantage. The teams went back and forth up to a 12-12 tie before the Lakers took control of the match, scoring six of the next seven points to take an 18-13 lead. After a Huskie kill, the Lakers went on another run, scoring six straight points to lead 24-14. A kill from senior Nicole Whiddon then put GVSU up two sets to none.

Continuing on their run from set two, the Lakers jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the third stanza before Michigan Tech put three straight points on the board. The Huskies fought back to close the Laker advantage to 15-12 before an Ebels kill ended a four-point run for Michigan Tech and put GVSU up 16-12. The Lakers would go on to score nine of the match's final 14 points to win the final set 25-17.

As a team, GVSU hit .398 for the match with only seven attack errors, their best hitting percentage on the season. The Lakers also recorded eight service aces, a season-high.

Ebels, in addition to her 13 kills in 13 attempts, also recorded a solo block and one block assist. Umoh collected five kills with a career-high six aces, also the most by any GVSU player in a match this season, and six block assists. Schroeder finished with five kills, 10 digs and a career-high five block assists. Freshman setter Clair Ruhenkamp tallied 32 assists, seven digs and had three kills in four attempts.

GVSU is now 10-10 on the season with a 7-6 mark in GLIAC play while Michigan Tech falls to 2-18 overall with an 0-12 record in the conference.

The Lakers will play their final home match of the season on Saturday (Oct. 22) when they take on Northern Michigan for senior day. Seniors Whiddon, Courtney McCotter and Allyssa DeHaan will all be honored before the match.