Box Score

UNIVERSITY CENTER, MICH. - After the opening two sets at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 13), things weren't looking great for #18 Grand Valley State. The Lakers, however, battled back for a wild 3-2 win (21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22, 16-14) over the Cardinals to complete a 2-0 road trip.
 
After a 3-0 sweep at Wayne State on Friday night, GVSU captured its second win of the weekend to move to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in GLIAC play. Saginaw Valley State drops to 3-3 on the year and 0-2 in league action.
 
The Lakers found themselves down 2-0, but came back thanks - in large part - to a terrific performance from junior outside hitter Betsy Ronda. She finished the match with 25 digs and a career-high 23 kills. That tops her previous career-high of 22 kills in a 3-1 win over Wayne State on Nov. 17, 2012.
 
In totaling eight digs and six kills in the opening two sets, Ronda provided 17 kills and 17 digs in the final three stanzas - all Laker wins. No other player in the match recorded more than 12 kills.
 
GVSU led the first set 8-4 before Saginaw Valley State rattled off 10 consecutive points to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Lakers, which hit .067 in the frame, were unable to get closer than three points (at 24-21) the rest of the set.
 
Set two saw a 16-16 tie score midway through before three straight Cardinal points opened up the stanza. SVSU added three consecutive points after a 21-18 advantage to finish off the set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The third set was tied at 13-13, when Ronda and the Lakers started to pull away. A kill from junior Kaleigh Lound, an SVSU error, and a Ronda putaway made the score 16-13. Ronda would tally four more kills the rest of the set (giving her eight total kills in the frame) and GVSU would get back into the contest with the 25-21 win.
 
Set four was tied a dozen times, including at 19-19, when Ronda notched a kill. Senior Christina Canepa followed with an ace and the Lakers would hold the lead the rest of the set. Ronda and senior Ally Simmons combined for a big block late in the set and when senior Abby Aiken's kill hit the ground and made the score 25-22, the teams were headed for the pivotal fifth set.
 
Ronda and Aiken alternated the scoring early in the fifth set. GVSU scored on a Ronda kill, an Aiken kill, a Ronda kill, and an Aiken ace to take a 4-0 lead. Saginaw Valley State responded to tie the score at 8-8 before three straight points from the Lakers - on a Carley Gross kill, a Cardinal error, and a solo rejection by Aiken.
 
Leading 11-8, GVSU could not put the Cardinals away, as SVSU knotted the score at 14-14. Ronda put down her 23rd kill of the contest and Simmons recorded a solo block to finish off the wild comeback for Grand Valley State.
 
The Lakers held a large lead in kills (66-50) and assists (63-48), while Saginaw Valley State owned a 17-10 advantage in blocks. Both teams had five players record double-digit dig totals, including a match-best 26 pickups from Canepa, who also added six assists and three of GVSU's six service aces.
 
Aiken totaled 16 digs and nine kills, while Simmons and Kaitlyn Wolters each recorded eight kills. Wolters added 47 assists, 10 digs, and committed just one hitting error, while sister Kourtney Wolters added 14 digs, four assists, ad three kills.
 
GVSU returns to Allendale to open up the home portion of their schedule next weekend. The Lakers face Malone on Friday (Sept. 19, 7:00 p.m.) and Walsh on Saturday (Sept. 20, 4:00 p.m.).