Despite an incredible defensive performance in a match that lasted two hours and 12 minutes, #14 Grand Valley State dropped a tough 3-2 decision at #22 Ferris State on Tuesday night (Oct. 28) in Big Rapids. The teams alternated wins in the first four sets before FSU prevailed in the fifth frame of a match that was tied 24 times and saw 14 lead changes.
 
The final line score shows GVSU winning sets one and three, 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 19-25, and 15-17. Grand Valley State, now 17-4 overall, falls for the first time in conference play this season. Ferris State, 16-5 on the year, and the Lakers are tied for first place in the GLIAC with matching 13-1 league records.
 
GVSU had won eight of the previous 11 meetings in Big Rapids, but Ferris State has taken the last two contests, both of which went to five sets. The loss snaps Grand Valley State's 26-match GLIAC winning streak and the team's 12-match road winning streak. GVSU had not lost in conference play or on the road since falling at Ferris State on Oct. 1, 2013.
 
Both teams turned in incredibly gritty performances, which featured advantages for both squads. Grand Valley State led in kills (58-50), assists (48-46), aces (4-1), and digs (120-107), while holding a slim edge in hitting percentage (.077 to .073). FSU maintained a 16-10 lead in total blocks.
 
Grand Valley State's 120 digs are the most by a Laker team in nine seasons. During the first match of the 2006 campaign - Aug. 25, 2006 - GVSU picked up 126 digs in a five-set defeat to Southwest Minnesota State in Lakeland, Fla.
 
FSU jumped to an early 8-5 advantage in the first frame before the Lakers roared back with a 7-0 run, which featured strong serving from senior Ally Simmons. She picked up an ace and senior Abby Aiken delivered a kill during the seven-point surge. Later in the set, GVSU used a pair of combined blocks from Simmons and Aiken and another from senior Kourtney Wolters and junior Kaleigh Lound to up the lead to 22-15.
 
At that point, the Bulldogs chipped away with four consecutive points to trim the deficit to 22-19. Aiken stopped the 4-0 run with a kill and two points later, Lound put down the set-ending kill. The Lakers held Ferris State to a -.070 hitting percentage in the frame with seven kills and 10 errors. While GVSU tallied 23 digs, the Bulldogs recorded nearly as many blocks (six) as kills (seven).
 
Grand Valley State rattled off the first five points of set two, starting with kills from senior setter Kaitlyn Wolters and immediately followed by one from Lound. FSU aided the run with back-to-back-to-back errors to give the Lakers a 5-0 cushion. The Bulldogs, however, battled back and tied the score at 7-7 and the set would continue to go back and forth.
 
A Betsy Ronda solo rejection gave GVSU a 16-14 lead, but Ferris State score four straight points to open an 18-16 advantage. The Lakers pulled within a point at 20-19, but  could not pull even. FSU closed out the frame with a set victory despite again hitting negative (seven kills, nine errors, -.039 attack percentage). In fact, Grand Valley State hit -.078 with 14 hitting errors, as the Bulldogs recorded seven blocks in the stanza.
 
The Lakers again got off to a fast start in the third set, as Lound notched a solo block and a pair of kills to push GVSU ahead, 5-1. Simmons again served strong, posting a pair of aces and setting for an assist on a Sydney Doby kill - all on consecutive points - to give Grand Valley State the 13-5 advantage. The Laker lead grew to 17-8 on a Lound kill and a Ronda solo block on back-to-back plays.
 
Simmons deposited a pair of late kills and Aiken put down a back row kill late in the frame before Lound finished the set with another kill. The Lakers hit very well in set three, tallying 15 kills and only five errors for a .244 percentage, while FSU did not manage a block and hit .075.
 
Set four was a tight stanza, with the biggest lead coming when Ferris State was ahead 19-14. From there, Simmons and Ronda put down consecutive kills and Doby tabbed a solo block to cut the deficit to 19-17. The Bulldogs pulled away with a 6-1 run to send the match to the fifth and final frame.
 
The fifth set alone was tied 10 times and had five lead changes. GVSU used back-to-back kills from Aiken to take a 7-5 lead and then a Ronda kill to move up, 8-6. Ferris State tied the score at 8-8 and actually led 10-9 before consecutive kills again from Aiken put the Lakers back on top, 11-10.
 
Grand Valley State's lead extended to 13-11 on a Bulldog error, but FSU rallied to score the next two points. Ronda put down a kill to bring the Lakers to match point, but Ferris State answered with a kill to knot the score at 14-14. After being tied once more at 15-15, the Bulldogs scored the final two points to prevail in the battle.
 
Senior libero Christina Canepa played terrific, picking up a match-high 31 digs, but was closely followed by Ronda's 25 pickups and Aiken's 20 digs. Both Kaitlyn (18) and Kourtney (11) Wolters also reached double-figures in the category. Canepa, currently in third place in Laker history in career digs, set a new season-high with her 31 pickups.
 
Ronda's 14 kills paced GVSU, while Simmons added 13 and Aiken supplied 12. Both Ronda (two solo) and Simmons blocked four shots, while Simmons served up three of the team's four aces. Kaitlyn Wolters dished out 37 assists and added nine kills, while Lound put down eight kills.
 
GVSU stays on the road for two more GLIAC matches this weekend. On Friday (Oct. 31), the Lakers take on Northwood at 7:00 p.m. before facing Lake Superior State at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 1).