Nov. 23, 2013

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - It was the third time in the last four matches that #13 Grand Valley State has dropped the first set, but after falling behind 1-0 to Northwood in the GLIAC semifinals on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 23), the Lakers captured the next three sets for the 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21). With the victory, GVSU advances to Saturday's GLIAC Championship match at 4:00 p.m. against Ashland.

The league's top seed, Grand Valley State improved to 28-3 with the win and pushed its winning streak to 18 matches, tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in school history. GVSU has won 26 of its last 27 matches. Northwood, the tournament's fifth seed, falls to 21-10. Second-seeded Ashland defeated third-seed Northern Michigan by a 3-1 score in the other semifinal contest.

Saturday's first set was close throughout, but with the score tied at 19-19, Northwood scored three straight points to lead 22-19. GVSU closed the gap at 22-21 after a Betsy Ronda kill and a Timberwolf error, but NU notched three of the next four points for the 25-22 win.

The Timberwolves kept the momentum going in the second set, opening up a 5-0 lead before GVSU chipped away and knotted the score at 8-8. It was tied again at 17-17 before consecutive Northwood errors put the Lakers on top, 19-17. NU bounced back and tied the score at 22-22 before GLIAC Player of the Year Abby Aiken teamed with classmate Ally Simmons for a huge combined block, giving GVSU a 23-22 advantage. Simmons then served up a huge ace, and Northwood committed a hitting error to end the set at 25-22. The Lakers picked up the win in the set despite hitting just .044 (eight kills, six errors) offensively.

Whatever offensive problems Grand Valley State had in the second set, the Lakers corrected for the third frame. GVSU led 12-11 and scored three of the next four points on kills from Ronda, Aiken, and Simmons. After two more Ronda kills and a pair of Northwood errors, the Laker advantage was 19-14. Simmons notched another ace, setter Kaitlyn Wolters delivered a kill, and senior Megan Schroeder teamed with sophomore Kaleigh Lound for a block to make the lead 23-16. Aiken's fifth kill of the set gave GVSU the 25-16 win. The Lakers notched 15 kills and zero attack errors for a healthy .500 hitting percentage.

Set four saw 12 tie scores, including the last time at 15-15. From there, Lound delivered a kill, Aiken tabbed a solo block, and Schroeder and Lound again teamed up for a combined rejection. It was 18-15 at that point and Northwood would not be able to pull even again in the match. With a 23-21 lead, junior libero Christina Canepa picked up her third kill in as many attempts, a huge point for the Lakers, who would win the set and match one point later.

For the match, GVSU hit .212 with 50 kills, while Northwood connected for 59 kills at a .176 rate. The Timberwolves led in assists (57-49) and digs (92-78), but Grand Valley State had a sizable advantage in service aces (8-1) and blocks (12-6).

Aiken, who would be named the league's Player of the Year after the match, was very good, tallying a team-high 17 kills, 17 digs, four blocks, and an ace. Ronda was strong as well, as the sophomore recorded a team-best 21 digs to go with 10 kills, two aces, and a block assist. Schroeder (six total blocks) and Simmons (.556 percentage, three blocks) both added five kills.

Lound totaled seven kills and a match-high seven blocks. Wolters picked up another double-double with 41 assists and 12 digs. In addition to her career-high three kills, Canepa supplied 12 digs and four assists, while freshman Nicayla Joyce served up three aces and was the fifth Laker to reach double-digits with 10 kills.

GVSU and Ashland will square off at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The top two seeds in the conference, the Lakers and Eagles have met just once this season. In Ashland on Oct. 12, AU won the first set before Grand Valley State came back to win sets two, three, and four in the 3-1 victory. Three of the four sets were decided by three points or fewer.