Nov. 5, 2013

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Allendale, Mich. - #16 Grand Valley State put together a terrific performance on Tuesday night (Nov. 5), sweeping visiting #24 Ferris State by a 3-0 score (25-20, 25-22, 30-28) in a battle of West Michigan rivals. A season-high 1,022 fans were in attendance to see the Lakers capture their 12th straight victory and their 20th win in the last 21 matches.

GVSU's only loss since Sept. 13 came in a 3-2 defeat at Ferris State on Oct. 1, but the Lakers were able to exact revenge and earn their 13th sweep of the year. With the victory, Grand Valley State stays in first place in the GLIAC standings with a 13-1 record and a 22-3 overall mark. FSU drops to 18-7 overall and 11-3 in the league standings. GVSU is now 5-1 this season against top-25 opponents.

It was quite a back-and-forth contest, as there were 14 lead changes and the score was tied 26 times. Despite the sweep, most of the team statistics were pretty even. GVSU led in kills (48-43), aces (6-2), and held a large lead in hitting percentage (.213 to .163). Ferris State led in assists (43-41), digs (62-61), and blocks (9-8).

The first set was all Grand Valley State, despite the Bulldogs pulling close near the end. GVSU led 13-6 after a solo block from sophomore Kaleigh Lound, but FSU started to chip away. The lead dwindled from 21-16 to 22-20, but Grand Valley State closed it out with a Betsy Ronda kill and consecutive FSU errors. GVSU hit a whopping .370 in the first set, while the Bulldogs connected at just a .067 clip.

Set two was much closer throughout, with 15 tie scores and nine lead changes in just the second stanza. With the frame knotted at 20-20, the Lakers scored three straight points (a kill from junior Abby Aiken, a Bulldog attack error, and a Lound kill). Leading 23-20, GVSU traded points with Ferris State and used kills from Aiken and Lound to finish the set, 25-22.

GVSU was able to prevail in a tremendous third set. The Lakers were cruising early on with a 9-3 lead after back-to-back service aces from freshman Nicayla Joyce. Ferris State battled back and tied the score at 17-17, then actually built a 21-19 advantage. FSU was on top 24-22 and serving for set point before Ronda notched a kill and junior setter Kaitlyn Wolters added a kill to tie the score, 24-24. Another kill by Ronda gave GVSU set point, but Ferris State then tied the score and had set point again with a 26-25 lead.

However, Aiken and Ronda followed with consecutive kills and a 27-26 Laker lead. GVSU was still ahead 28-27 before a Bulldog kill made the set 28-28, tied for the 26th time in the contest. Aiken then delivered emphatic back-to-back kills (both on Wolters assists) to end the match, as the Laker crowd erupted.

The 1,022 fans are the most at a GVSU home match since Oct. 9, 2009, when the Lakers defeated Ashland by a 3-2 score in front of 1,025 fans. Tuesday night's figure is actually the second-highest attended home match since the 2006 season.

Aiken led the way, as she put together a match-high 14 kills (no other player reached double-digits). She added nine digs, three aces, and a solo block. Lound provided nine kills, hit .333, and recorded a team-high four blocks. Ronda, the reigning GLIAC North Division Player of the Week, tallied 13 digs and nine kills.

Joyce and junior libero Christina Canepa each tallied 13 digs, while Joyce served up two of GVSU's six aces. Wolters handed out 39 assists to go with 10 digs, four kills, and a pair of blocks. Junior Ally Simmons added six kills and no errors in 15 swings for a .400 hitting percentage, while picking up three digs and three blocks.

The Lakers stay at home this weekend, as GVSU looks to extend its winning streak on Friday (Nov. 8) against Saginaw Valley State and on Saturday (Nov. 9) versus Lake Superior State.