Oct. 26, 2011

Box Score

University Center, Mich. - For the second time in less than one month, rivals Grand Valley State and Saginaw Valley State battled through five sets before finding a winner. On Wednesday night (Oct. 26), the Lakers and Cardinals played for two hours and seven minutes before SVSU prevailed with a 3-2 victory (22-25, 25-17, 18-25, 26-24, 15-12) on its home court.

On Sept. 30 in Allendale, Saginaw Valley State won in five sets, using a 16-14 final set to win a five-set, two-hour and 20-minute battle. The Lakers won the first (25-22) and third (25-18) sets on Wednesday night before SVSU battled back to win a tight fourth set (26-24) and pull away late in a 15-12 fifth set. GVSU falls to 11-11 overall and 8-7 in GLIAC play, while the Cardinals improve to 13-8 on the year and 11-3 in the conference.

An extremely tight first set was tied at points 10, 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, and 22 before the Lakers were finally able to pull away. Two SVSU errors were sandwiched around a service ace from sophomore Megan Schroeder to give the Lakers a 25-22 victory.

Saginaw Valley State scored the first three points of the second set and pushed out to a 14-7 lead midway through the stanza. The Lakers were never able to get closer than four points - on a few occasions - before SVSU finished off the set with back-to-back kills in a 25-17 win.

In the third set, Grand Valley State had a strong offensive output, tallying 12 kills and a .308 hitting percentage. The score was tied 15-15 before four consecutive points gave the Lakers a nice cushion. Sophomore Abby Ebels, Schroeder, and senior Courtney McCotter each notched kills during the 4-0 run. Leading 20-17, GVSU went on another four-point spurt, including a kill from freshman Abby Aiken and an ace from sophomore Lyndsey Holt. Another Ebels kill ended the set, 25-18, and gave the Lakers a 2-1 lead in the match.

Neither team hit well in the fourth set, but the score would remain close throughout. The set was knotted at points 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, and 24 before Saginaw Valley State forced a pair of Laker hitting errors to win 26-24 and force the pivotal fifth set.

SVSU quickly jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the fifth set before three straight kills (one from Schroeder and consecutive putaways from senior Nicole Whiddon) pulled the Lakers within 9-7. An Aiken kill and a Cardinal attack error made the score 11-11 before Saginaw Valley State finished the set (and match) with a 4-1 run, winning 15-12.

Ebels, the reigning GLIAC North Division Player of the Week, led the Lakers with 11 kills and four block assists, while Schroeder added 10 kills and seven digs. Freshman setter Clair Ruhenkamp delivered 37 assists to go with eight digs, four kills, and two blocks. Sophomore Sacha Gill (23 digs) and freshman Christina Canepa (15 digs, two aces) controlled the libero spot. Aiken totaled eight kills, while junior Eno Umoh and McCotter each tallied seven putaways.

Saginaw Valley State led in kills (54-53), hitting percentage (.162-.149), aces (10-6), digs (68-64), and assists (52-44). The Lakers totaled 9.5 blocks to seven rejections for the Cardinals.

GVSU returns to the floor this weekend, as the team travels to Ohio Dominican on Friday night (Oct. 28) for a 7:00 p.m. match.