Sept. 25, 2011

Box Score |  Photo Gallery   |   Postgame Comments

Allendale, Mich. - The #20 Grand Valley State volleyball team kept things close with #10 Hillsdale, but fell in straight sets (25-20, 25-23, 25-21) to the Chargers. The Lakers had a .215 hitting percentage in the match but tallied an uncharacteristic three team blocks and allowed a .283 hitting percentage from Hillsdale.

Things started off promising for the Lakers to begin the match as they jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but Hillsdale scored five straight points to take a 7-5 advantage. The Chargers would take the lead and run with it, extending their advantage to 13-10 before a Grand Valley State timeout. The Lakers got kills from sophomore Stacey Catalano and freshman Abby Aiken in a run that saw GVSU tie the set at 15, but another three point run extended the Hillsdale lead to 18-15 that they would sustain all the way through to a 25-20 win in set one.

In the second set, Hillsdale jumped out to a 2-0 lead after consecutive kills and led the set 16-14 before GVSU made their run. Kills from Aiken and Catalano forced a Hillsdale timeout that seemed to benefit the Lakers. Coming out of the break, GVSU recorded two more consecutive kills, this time from junior Eno Umoh and sophomore Abby Ebels to push their lead out to 18-16. The Lakers held a 22-19 advantage and looked to be on their way to tying the match up, but two kills from Hillsdale and a Laker attack error tied things up at 22. A Catalano kill put the Lakers ahead temporarily, 23-22, but Hillsdale notched the set's final three points to win 25-23.

The Lakers dominated the beginning of the third set, going up 8-2 after an ace from freshman Christina Canepa. Again the Chargers were able to mount a comeback, scoring nine of the next 12 points to tie the set up at 11. The teams exchanged points to a 14-all tie before a Laker service error and a Hillsdale ace put the Chargers up 16-14. The Lakers tied it up at 17 after an ace from sophomore Lyndsey Holt and then again battled back to tie things at 21. Three straight Charger kills and a block to end the set gave Hillsdale the victory in the match, however, 25-21.

Aiken led the way offensively for the Lakers, notching nine kills with a .261 hitting percentage to go with three digs. Catalano also had nine kills and recorded 11 digs. Freshman Clair Ruhenkamp had 28 assists while Umoh finished with six kills, a .308 hitting percentage, one ace and a block assist. The highest hitting Laker was sophomore Megan Schroeder who hit .333 in the match and recorded six kills.

The Lakers fell to 7-5 on the year with a 4-4 mark in the GLIAC while the Chargers are now 10-2 with a 7-1 conference record. GVSU will be back in action on Friday (Sept. 30) when they take on rival Saginaw Valley State at 7 p.m.