Box Score

The start of a possibly tough road trip for #12 Grand Valley State went as well as could be expected, as the Lakers earned a strong 3-0 sweep at Hillsdale on Friday night (Oct. 10). GVSU used solid defense and timely serving to take down the Chargers on their home floor by straight set scores of 25-19, 25-16, and 25-22.
 
Grand Valley State has not lost since returning from the season-opening trip to the Oredigger Classic in Golden, Colo. Since then, the Lakers have won 10 consecutive matches (all GLIAC contests) to move to 12-2 overall and 10-0 in league play. Hillsdale drops to 7-7 on the year and 6-4 in GLIAC action.
 
Not only has GVSU won all five home matches, the Lakers are 5-0 in true road contests, as well. During the 10-match win streak, Grand Valley State has dropped just three sets. Friday's win was the fifth consecutive 3-0 sweep for GVSU.
 
Defensively, the Lakers were strong. The visitors used advantages in digs (66-54) and blocks (7-5), combined with eight service aces, to pick up the road win. Senior libero Christina Canepa tallied a match-best 23 digs, the highest three-set total of her career.
 
It was a 9-0 Laker run that turned the opening set in GVSU's favor. Leading 6-4, Grand Valley State notched consecutive kills from juniors Kaleigh Lound and Betsy Ronda. Lound then teamed with setter Kaitlyn Wolters for a block, which was followed by an Abby Aiken service ace. On top 10-4, Lound and sophomore Carley Gross each put down kills, then Lound and Wolters again combined for a block to open a 15-4 cushion. Hillsdale would chip away at the deficit, but it was too wide a margin and another Gross kill finished the set at 25-19.
 
In the second stanza, an early 8-0 GVSU run opened up the frame for the Lakers. During the surge from 3-2 to 11-2, Lound put down two kills, Aiken recorded a kill and a solo block, Ronda added a kill and an ace, and even Canepa notched a kill. Wolters assisted on four of the kills and added one of her own. Grand Valley State scored the final three points - including a solo rejection from sophomore Josie Werner - to take the second set.
 
The third set was tied a dozen times, including for the final time at 19-19. GVSU ran off the next three points and the score was not tied again. Aiken put down two kills in the final four points of the match, finishing the contest with a kill on a Wolters' assist. The Lakers hit .282 in the third set and .195 in the match. Overall, Grand Valley State recorded 37 kills and held Hillsdale to a .056 hitting mark.
 
Lound's nine kills were tied for the match-high total, as she hit .368 and blocked a pair of shots. Ronda totaled 16 digs to go along with her eight kills and three service aces, while Aiken added six kills, two aces, and two blocks.
 
Gross hit .400 in the contest, with seven kills and just one error in 15 swings. Wolters was again strong, dishing out 28 assists and supplying 16 digs, three block assists, and three kills in five attacks.
 
The Lakers' road swing continues on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 11) in Ohio. GVSU will take on Findlay at 4:00 p.m. The Oilers were 8-1 in GLIAC play prior to Friday night's home match against Ferris State.