Oct. 5, 2013

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - #17 Grand Valley State tallied its second consecutive sweep, closing out Tiffin in Fieldhouse Arena on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 5) by a 3-0 score. The Lakers, coming off a similar 3-0 win over Ohio Dominican on Friday, defeated the Dragons by scores of 25-21, 25-20, and 25-13. It was the team's sixth 3-0 win of the year.

Similar to Friday night's win over ODU, Grand Valley State was strong on both offense and defense. The Lakers hit .231 with 45 kills, while holding Tiffin to an .055 hitting percentage and just 26 kills to go with 20 attack errors. GVSU improves to 12-3 on the season and 6-1 in GLIAC matches, while the Dragons fall to 5-6 overall and 1-6 in league play.

A pair of Laker sophomores were terrific offensively. Reigning GLIAC Freshman of the Year Betsy Ronda notched 14 kills without an error for a .483 hitting percentage. She added six digs, three blocks (two solo), and a pair of service aces. Classmate Kaleigh Lound put down 11 kills and just two errors for a .474 mark. Lound recorded a match-best four blocks. Ronda and Lound were the only players in the match with double-digit kills.

GVSU started fast, jumping out to a 6-1 lead behind two blocks and a kill from sophomore Jessica Majerle. Tiffin came all the way back and actually took a brief 11-10 advantage before Ronda evened the score with a kill and junior Abby Aiken followed with consecutive putaways. The Lakers held a slim 16-15 lead before a Lound kill and two straight TU hitting errors made the score 19-15. Another Lound kill ended the set at 25-21, as the Lakers hit .300 in the opening frame.

Set two was tied at 6-6 before the Lakers notched six straight points, most of which were with freshman Nicayla Joyce serving for GVSU. Ronda had three kills and Joyce tallied an ace during the 6-0 run, upping the lead to 12-6. Grand Valley State maintained control, never allowing Tiffin back within two points. At 22-20, Ronda secured her seventh kill of the second set, junior setter Kaitlyn Wolters followed with a kill of her own, and Ronda's service ace finished the set, putting GVSU up 2-0.

Midway through set three, the score was 12-7 in the Lakers' favor. GVSU scored four straight points on an Aiken kill, a Ronda ace, a Ronda kill, and an Ally Simmons kill, extending the lead to 16-7. The Lakers were never threatened the rest of the way, hitting at a .385 clip with 14 kills in the final set.

In addition to holding Tiffin to a low hitting percentage, Grand Valley State recorded a 9-3 edge in total blocks and a 55-50 advantage in digs. Six of GVSU's blocks were solo rejections, with Majerle and Ronda each notching a pair. Wolters dished out 31 assists (five more than Tiffin's team total of 26) and picked up 13 digs.

The Lakers served up seven aces, with Ronda and Joyce each putting up two aces. Aiken secured seven kills and seven digs, while junior Christina Canepa totaled 15 digs.

GVSU is back on the road next weekend (Oct. 11-12), as the Lakers take on Lake Erie and Ashland in Ohio.