Box Score

It took two hours and the full five sets to complete, but the #12 Grand Valley State volleyball team continued its winning streak with a tough 3-2 road victory at Findlay on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 11). The Lakers won sets one, three, and five to stay unbeaten in GLIAC play with the five-set win (25-10, 22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 15-12).
 
Saturday's victory was just the team's second five-set victory of the year. During the current 11-match win streak, GVSU has dropped just five total sets, including two to the Oilers. Grand Valley State is now 13-2 on the season and a perfect 11-0 in GLIAC play and will be the conference's top seed at next weekend's GLIAC-GLVC Crossover Tournament in Aurora, Ill.
 
The Lakers hadn't been tested much in their previous five matches, sweeping all five opponents. But Findlay (now 11-5, 8-3 GLIAC) presented a tougher challenge; the Oilers were 8-1 entering this weekend before falling to Ferris State and GVSU.
 
Dating back to Oct. 1, 2013, the Lakers have won 24 consecutive GLIAC matches, including the final 13 regular season contests last year and the first 11 of this season.
 
The first set was all Grand Valley State. Leading 9-7 midway, the Lakers finished the frame on a 16-3 run. Four consecutive kills from Kaleigh Lound, Abby Aiken, Ally Simmons, and Carley Gross upped the advantage to 13-7. With a 17-10 lead, GVSU rattled off the final eight points of the set, including four aces in a row from Simmons to help close out the frame by a 25-10 score. The Lakers hit .500 in the opening frame (12 kills, two errors).
 
Grand Valley State turned a 13-11 deficit in set two to a 17-15 advantage, with back-to-back-to-back kills from Aiken propelling the surge. Findlay responded with five straight points to regain a 20-17 lead. The Lakers were able to tie the score back up at 20-20 and 22-22 before three straight Oiler points finished the set and tied the match at 1-1.
 
GVSU got back on track offensively in the third set, hitting .481 with 15 kills to regain a 2-1 lead in the match. The score was tied 11-11 when Betsy Ronda put down back-to-back kills. Findlay would get back within one point six different times throughout the remainder of the set, but the Oilers would never pull even again. An Aiken kill closed the score at 25-23.
 
Findlay was able to pull out ahead in the fourth set and turn a 6-5 advantage into a 14-8 lead. The Lakers, which hit -.067 in the set, would not be able to get any closer than five points the rest of the way, sending the match to the decisive fifth set.
 
Ronda started the fifth frame with a kill and freshman Sydney Doby recorded a solo block to open the early 2-0 lead. Neither team would lead by more than three points and that was when GVSU was on top 11-8 after a Ronda putaway. However, two Laker errors and a Findlay kill knotted the score at 11-11. From there, Ronda sandwiched a pair of kills around an Oiler point to take the 13-12 advantage. Findlay hit one into the net and on match point, Ronda hit home on her 16th kill of the night, the most by any Laker.
 
Both teams hit well in an offensive battle. GVSU tallied 57 kills and a .252 percentage, while Findlay connected at a .241 mark and 53 kills. Grand Valley State secured more assists (57-48), aces (9-4), and digs (49-40), while the Oilers led in blocks (8-3).
 
Ronda's 16 kills and .379 hitting percentage led GVSU, as one of four Lakers with double-digit kills. She added eight digs. Aiken notched a double-double of 12 kills and 12 digs, while hitting .345. Lound provided 11 kills and a .316 attack mark, while Gross put down 10 kills.
 
Setter Kaitlyn Wolters dished out 48 assists, four kills, and four digs, while Simmons served up five of the team's nine aces. Libero Christina Canepa picked up 12 digs.
 
GVSU's opponents at next weekend's Crossover Tournament will be released on Monday morning (Oct. 13).