Friday (Oct. 9) - at Lake Erie, 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats
 
Saturday (Oct. 10) - at Ashland, 2:00 p.m.
Live Stats
 
Two weeks after traveling to Ohio for conference road matches, the #21 GVSU volleyball team makes a return trip there this weekend (Oct. 9-10). Grand Valley State finishes the first half of GLIAC play with match-ups against Lake Erie and Ashland, as the Lakers look to stay near the top of the league standings.
 
GVSU is a perfect 4-0 this season against Ohio schools, sweeping three of the four contests against those teams from the GLIAC's North Division. Two weeks ago, the Lakers earned consecutive 3-0 victories over Malone and Walsh in Canton, Ohio. Last weekend back at home, Grand Valley State defeated Ohio Dominican in four sets before sweeping an improved Tiffin team in its most recent match last Saturday (Oct. 3).
 
Overall, the Lakers are 10-5 this season with a 6-1 GLIAC record. GVSU is one of four conference teams (along with Ashland, Findlay, and Hillsdale) in a second-place tie at 6-1 in league matches. Ferris State sits in first place with a 7-0 conference ledger.
 
Friday's opponent - Lake Erie - owns a 5-8 overall record, but is just 1-6 in GLIAC play. The Storm began the year with a 4-4 mark before losing their next four matches - all in conference action and all by 3-0 sweep. LEC stopped the losing streak last Saturday with a 3-0 home win over Lake Superior State. Three of the Storm's five wins have come at home, where Lake Erie is 3-3 on the year.
 
With a 6-1 league record, Ashland is 11-4 overall and is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Top-25 poll. The Eagles are riding a five-match win streak and have six victories in their last seven outings. AU started the season 4-0 before losing three of four matches at the Indianapolis Tournament in mid-September. The team's only blemish in GLIAC play is a four-set home loss to Hillsdale on Sept. 19. Since then, the Eagles have won five straight, three of those wins coming by 3-0 sweep.
 
In 2013, Grand Valley State and Ashland met in the GLIAC Championship match in Allendale, with the Lakers winning a terrific five-set match to claim the league title. GVSU won the fourth set to force the pivotal fifth frame, with the Lakers notching a 19-17 final set victory. Two weeks later, Grand Valley State knocked off Ashland in four sets in the Midwest Region semifinals, also held in Allendale. Set two went to GVSU in an incredible 33-31 final score.
 
Last weekend, the Lakers played outstanding defense in a 3-1 win over Ohio Dominican. GVSU recorded 102 digs in the four sets, just the third time since the 2005 season that the Lakers have notched at least 100 digs in a four-set contest. Moreover, it is just the 12th time in that same span that Grand Valley State has totaled 100 digs in a match of any length.
 
Seniors Betsy Ronda (29 digs) and Taylor Shomin (26) led the way in the defensive category, while freshman Brooke Smith and sophomore Katie Olson added 15 and 14 pickups, respectively. Ronda and Smith were also strong offensively, as Ronda provided 11 kills and Smith added a match-high 13 putaways. Freshman Staci Brower supplied 11 kills and a match-best four blocks.
 
Against Tiffin on Saturday, Brower (12 kills, .391 percentage) and Ronda (10 kills, .360, 13 digs) led the Laker offense, while seniors Jessica Majerle (nine kills, .471) and Kaleigh Lound (eight kills, .333) also had strong performances. Redshirt freshman Shannon Winicki's eight kills also included a .333 attack percentage.
 
Ronda continues to move up on the GVSU all-time digs list. She passed Cindy Corstange (1995, 98-99) and her total of 1,221 digs last weekend to move into seventh place on the career list. Ronda heads into this weekend with 1,245 digs, just 52 pickups behind Megan Helsen (2003-06) for sixth-most in Laker history.
 
This weekend is the end of the first half of GLIAC play for all conference teams. Next weekend (Oct. 16-17), Grand Valley State will head to Aurora, Ill. for the eighth annual GLIAC-GLVC Crossover Tournament, where the Lakers will face three top teams from the Great Lakes Valley Conference. GVSU's opponents for the tournament will be announced at the conclusion of this weekend's matches.