Sept. 11, 2011
Box Score
Houghton, Mich. - The 13th-ranked Grand Valley State volleyball team rebounded from Saturday's loss in a big way, sweeping away Michigan Tech in straight sets on Sunday (Sept. 11), 25-16, 25-22, 25-20. The Lakers recorded 13 total blocks while sophomore Stacey Catalano had 14 kills and 12 digs.
The Huskies got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first set of the match before a service error got the Lakers on the board. Two straight aces from Catalano then put GVSU in the lead by a 3-2 score and they wouldn't relinquish it for the rest of the set. Tied at four a piece, freshman Abby Aiken got a kill and then combined with sophomore Abby Ebels to get a block and go up 6-4. After the Lakers forced an attack error, a kill by Ebels forced a Michigan Tech timeout as GVSU led 8-4.
The two teams exchanged points up to a 20-16 Laker lead before GVSU ripped off the set's final five points in a row. Two kills by Catalano, a kill from junior Eno Umoh, a bad set and then an ace from sophomore Sacha Gill put the set away and had the Lakers up 1-0 in the match as GVSU hit .355 as a team in the first set.
The Lakers fell behind 7-4 early in the second set but consecutive kills from senior Nicole Whiddon and Ebels cut the lead to 7-6. The teams would battle to a 16-all tie later in the set when the Lakers went on a run, scoring the next four points off kills from Umoh and Whiddon and then two straight combined blocks from Whiddon and Ebels to make it a 20-16 lead for GVSU. The Huskies surged to tie it back up at 21 before the Lakers put the set away, going up 23-22 on a Michigan Tech service error. Umoh then got a kill and combined with senior Allyssa DeHaan on a block that ended the set, 25-22.
In the third set, the Lakers jumped out to a big 13-6 lead before the Huskies scored nine of the next 11 points to cut the lead to 16-15 for GVSU. The Lakers rebounded from the run and got five straight points, including three Catalano kills, to go up 21-15. Michigan Tech again got the next three points to cut the lead in half at 21-18, but GVSU put the set away by a 25-20 score to complete the sweep.
Catalano led the team in both kills (14) and digs (12) in the match while recording a .375 hitting percentage and three service aces. Aiken recorded a .471 hitting percentage while collecting nine kills and three block assists. Whiddon and sophomore Megan Schroeder each also contributed three block assists. Umoh had five kills but recorded an impressive seven total blocks including three solo. Freshman Clair Ruhenkamp and junior Olivia Kohler nearly split the assists in half with Ruhenkamp collecting 16 while Kohler had 15.
The Lakers are now 4-2 overall on the year and evened their GLIAC record at 1-1. Michigan Tech falls to 2-6 on the season with an 0-3 mark in conference play. GVSU will be back in action on Wednesday (Sept. 14) when they head to Big Rapids, Mich. to take on Ferris State for a 7 p.m. match.
