Nov. 2, 2013

Box Score

Houghton, Mich. - The #16 Grand Valley State volleyball team continued to roll on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 2), as the Lakers had little problem at Michigan Tech, sweeping the Huskies, 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-13). After earning a huge road victory over Northern Michigan on Friday night, GVSU needed just 70 minutes in disposing of Michigan Tech in a match in which the Lakers never trailed.

With the win, Grand Valley State improves to 21-3 on the year and 12-1 in GLIAC play, while Michigan Tech drops to 9-16 overall and 5-8 in league action. The victory was GVSU's 11th straight win and the team's 12th sweep of the year. During the 11-match win streak, eight of those victories are 3-0 wins. In the last 20 matches, the Lakers are 19-1.

The GVSU offense was tremendous on Saturday, as the Lakers hit .323 in the match, notching 40 kills and only eight errors. Grand Valley State recorded terrific hitting percentages in the first (.375) and third (.394) sets. For the match, Michigan Tech hit .061, tallying 27 kills and 21 errors.

Again, the Lakers never trailed against Michigan Tech, nor was the score ever tied. GVSU scored the first four points of the match on two kills apiece from junior Abby Aiken and senior Megan Schroeder. The score was 12-4 after three kills and a solo block from junior Ally Simmons in a 5-0 Laker run. Later in the set, Schroeder and sophomore Jessica Majerle each supplied two kills apiece as GVSU rolled to the 25-14 win.

Set two was more of the same. Grand Valley State scored the first three points and led 14-5 after a Betsy Ronda service ace, one of three she would have in the match. Ronda delivered six of GVSU's 10 kills in the second set, all coming from the passes of junior setter Kaitlyn Wolters. MTU pulled within 16-12 before a Husky error, a Ronda kill, and a combined block from Majerle and redshirt freshman Josie Werner. A Michigan Tech service error ended the set.

The third set was close at 10-5 when GVSU rolled off six straight points. That 6-0 run included kills from Ronda, two from freshman Rachel Dickerson, a pair from Wolters, and another Ronda putaway. Leading 16-5, the Lakers would cruise through the rest of the set to the 25-13 victory.

Ronda notched a match-high 10 kills and tallied just one error for a .333 hitting percentage. She added seven digs and three of GVSU's nine aces. Schroeder recorded six kills in 12 swings for a .417 clip, while Wolters - in addition to her 24 assists and seven digs - put down five kills without an error for a .556 percentage.

Werner delivered a match-best four blocks (one solo), while junior libero Christina Canepa picked up 11 digs and was one of seven Lakers to serve an ace. Aiken, Dickerson, Majerle, and Simmons all had four kills apiece.

Northern Michigan bounced back after falling to GVSU on Friday night to sweep #24 Ferris State on Saturday afternoon in Marquette. That loss for FSU puts the Lakers in sole possession of first place in the GLIAC standings. Grand Valley State (12-1 GLIAC) will host Ferris State (11-2 GLIAC) on Tuesday night (Nov. 5) in Allendale for a 7:00 p.m. showdown being termed as the 'Laker Blue Night' match.