Box Score

A rematch of the 2013 GLIAC Tournament championship on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 4) turned out to be a similar result for #12 Grand Valley State, albeit a little easier than last season's contest. GVSU took down visiting Ashland by a 3-0 final on Saturday, winning by straight set scores of 25-19, 25-17, and 25-23. The two teams battled twice during last year's postseason, including a thrilling five-set match in the GLIAC Tournament, in which the Lakers were victorious.

Grand Valley State continues its recent roll, as the Lakers have now won nine consecutive matches. Overall, GVSU is 11-2 on the season and 9-0 in conference play. During the nine-match winning streak, the Lakers have lost just three total sets. GVSU is also 5-0 at home this year. Ashland falls to 4-9 overall and 4-5 in GLIAC action. 

In addition to the 2013 GLIAC Tournament championship match, the Lakers and Eagles also competed in the Midwest Region Tournament semifinals last year. Grand Valley State pulled away in four sets to end AU's 2013 season. Both of those matches were in Allendale, as GVSU hosted both postseason tournaments. 

The Lakers played well again on its home floor on Saturday, topping Ashland in several categories. Grand Valley State held narrow leads in kills (30-29), assists (29-27), and aces (4-1), while also totaling advantages in digs (55-47) and blocks (7-3). GVSU also forced the Eagles in 25 attack errors and were aided by eight ball-handling errors and seven service errors by Ashland.

Grand Valley State used a 7-0 run midway through the first set to go from trailing 10-8 to leading 15-10. There were four kills from the Lakers - Ally Simmons, Abby Aiken, Kaitlyn Wolters, and Kaleigh Lound - and three Ashland errors in that stretch. GVSU would not allow Ashland any closer than three points the rest of the set, as AU hit -.071 in the opening frame (seven kills, nine errors).

A tight second stanza - GVSU led 11-10 - turned in the Lakers' favor after a big 7-1 run. Junior Betsy Ronda provided consecutive kills, Wolters served an ace, and Simmons notched a solo block to up the advantage to 18-11. A late block from Wolters and Lound was followed by a Simmons kill to finish off the second set, 25-17. Grand Valley State's defense was playing so well that Ashland was still hitting in the negatives after two sets, recording 16 errors against just 15 kills.

GVSU raced out to a 7-2 lead in the third set on two kills from Ronda and an Aiken putaway. Simmons teamed with Ronda and Wolters on consecutive blocks and it looked like the Lakers would cruise through the third frame. Ashland, however, chipped away at the deficit and caught up with the Lakers at 24-23 before Ronda ended the match with her ninth kill of the contest.

Ronda led all players with nine kills and was one of four Lakers with double-digit digs, as she had 10 pickups. Aiken also totaled 10 digs and added seven kills. Seniors Kourtney Wolters (match-best 13 digs) and Christina Canepa (10 digs) helped GVSU excel on the defensive side of the court.

Kaitlyn Wolters dished out 24 assists to go with nine digs, four kills, three blocks, and two of the team's four aces. Simmons provided a match-best four blocks.

The Lakers look to continue their solid play on the road this season - GVSU is 4-0 in true road matches - next weekend when they travel to Hillsdale on Friday night (Oct. 10) and Findlay on Saturday (Oct. 11) afternoon.