Friday (Oct. 2) - vs. Ohio Dominican, 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Video
 
Saturday (Oct. 3) - vs. Tiffin, 4:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Video
 
The #22 Grand Valley State volleyball team is back in Allendale after a three-match road swing in five days, as the Lakers host a pair of Ohio schools this weekend. On Friday night (Oct. 1), GVSU will face Ohio Dominican at 7:00 p.m., while the Lakers match up with Tiffin on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 3) at 4:00 p.m.
 
GVSU had its four-match win streak snapped on Tuesday night (Sept. 29), when the Lakers dropped a 3-1 decision at #4 Ferris State. It was another tight match between the two West Michigan rivals, as there were 16 tie scores in the contest and the final three sets were all decided by five points or less.
 
This weekend, Grand Valley State returns to the Fieldhouse Arena where the Lakers have won their last five matches and dropped just one set during that stretch. The last time GVSU was at home, the Lakers swept Wayne State and topped Saginaw Valley State in four sets on Sept. 18-19.
 
GVSU (8-5 overall) is one of six conference teams with a 4-1 GLIAC record, as Ferris State is the lone unbeaten team (5-0) remaining in league play. One of the teams tied with the Lakers in the standings is Tiffin, a surprising start for the Dragons, as they are 7-4 overall on the season. Friday's opponent - Ohio Dominican - enters the weekend with a 7-7 mark and a 2-3 GLIAC record.
 
The current GLIAC North Division Player of the Week is Laker freshman Staci Brower, who hit .404 and recorded 28 kills in last weekend's sweeps at Malone and Walsh. On Tuesday at Ferris State, she posted 12 kills and five total blocks in the loss. She ranks third in the GLIAC with 3.49 kills and 4.30 points per set. Brower is also ranked highly in all four blocking categories: per set (eighth, 1.05), solo blocks (eighth, 10), total blocks (ninth, 45), and block assists (11th, 35).
 
Senior middle hitter Kaleigh Lound recorded team-highs of 13 kills and six block assists against FSU. Her 42 block assists are third-most in the league, while she is fifth in both total rejections (48) and blocks per set (1.14). Libero Taylor Shomin ranks sixth in the GLIAC in digs (205) and digs per set (4.56) and eighth in service aces (17).
 
The Lakers are off to a good start in league play thanks to their defensive effort. GVSU is second in the GLIAC in digs per set (18.76) and blocks per set (2.49), while ranking third in a number of categories: kills per set (13.29), assists per set (12.47), digs (844), and block assists (168). The team's 112 total blocks are fourth-best in the conference.
 
Ohio Dominican won its first two GLIAC contests at Malone and Walsh, but the Panthers have dropped their last three matches. On Tuesday night, ODU took the first two sets at Tiffin before the Dragons won the final three sets to steal a 3-2 victory. The Panthers rank first in the league in total attacks (2,022), block assists (184), and ball handling errors (29), while owning the second-most digs (923) and total blocks (118) of any GLIAC team.
 
Tiffin has been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past few weeks, winning six of its last seven matches after a 1-3 start. The Dragons have defeated Walsh, Malone, Wayne State, and Ohio Dominican during that stretch, with the only loss coming in a 3-0 defeat to Saginaw Valley State. They've also won both true road matches this season. Tiffin's serving has been a strong point, as the Dragons have 79 aces (third-most in the GLIAC) and serve up 1.88 aces per set, the second-best figure.
 
After this home weekend, Grand Valley State heads back on the road to Ohio for two matches next Friday (Oct. 9) and Saturday (Oct. 10). The Lakers will face Lake Erie first before meeting up with Ashland to close the trip.