Tuesday (Nov. 3) - vs. #5 Ferris State, 7:00 p.m.
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It should be another classic rivalry match in Allendale on Tuesday night (Nov. 3), as Grand Valley State and #5 Ferris State face off in the Fieldhouse Arena at 7:00 p.m. The Lakers and Bulldogs will meet for the second time this season and the senior classes will square off for the 11th time over the past four years.
 
GVSU enters Tuesday night's contest with a 16-8 overall record and a 10-3 mark in GLIAC play, while Ferris State is 23-2 overall and 12-1 in league action. In the conference standings, the Bulldogs are in first place, while Grand Valley State is two back in the loss column, sitting in fourth place behind FSU, Ashland, and Findlay. The Lakers' only three GLIAC losses are to those three teams ahead of them in the league standings.
 
Grand Valley State had a great trip to the Upper Peninsula last weekend, earning tough victories at Northern Michigan (3-2) and Michigan Tech (3-1). That gives the Lakers five wins in their last six matches. Conversely, Ferris State's 11-match winning streak came to an end with a five-set loss at Northern Michigan on Saturday. The Bulldogs entered that contest with a #1 national ranking, but will likely drop from the top spot when the new AVCA Top-25 poll comes out on Monday afternoon.
 
The Lakers put up some terrific blocking numbers over the weekend, recording 15 team blocks on Friday night before notching a season-high 17 rejections against Michigan Tech on Saturday. Adding in GVSU's 16 blocks at home against Findlay on Oct. 24, it was the first time since at least 1998 that a Laker team totaled 15 or more blocks in three consecutive matches.
 
Moreover, the 32 blocks by Grand Valley State last weekend are the largest two-match total since the 2010 NCAA Tournament, when that Laker team posted 34 total blocks on Nov. 20-21 against Lewis (14 blocks) and Indianapolis (20 rejections) in the Midwest Region semifinals and finals.
 
Freshman Staci Brower and senior Kaleigh Lound were the benefactors of the block party, as each player did something that had not been accomplished since the 2010 season. On Friday against Northern Michigan, Brower recorded 10 kills and 10 blocks, which was followed by Lound's 13 kills and 10 rejections on Saturday at MTU. It was the first time since Rebeccah Rapin posted 16 kills and 13 blocks on Nov. 21, 2010 that a Laker recorded a double-double in kills and blocks.
 
GVSU and Ferris State met on Sept. 29 in Big Rapids, with the then-#4 Bulldogs earning a 3-1 victory (25-14, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19). Since then, the Lakers have played well, going 8-3 with two of the three losses being five-set defeats (to #19 Lewis and Findlay).
 
Brower is up to third in the league in total blocks (97), solo bocks (24), and blocks per set (1.10), while her 73 block assists is fourth-most. She also ranks fourth in the GLIAC in points per set (3.8) and is 12th in both total kills (260) and kills per set (2.95). Lound is not far behind in the blocking categories, placing fourth in block assists (73) and eighth in both total blocks (84) and blocks per set (0.99).
 
Senior libero Taylor Shomin is also posting some strong defensive numbers, ranking fifth in the conference in total digs (414) and sixth in digs per set (4.60). Classmate Betsy Ronda is 11th in the league with 3.68 digs per set.
 
To no surprise, Grand Valley State leads the GLIAC in total blocks, solo blocks, and blocks per set, while ranking third in assisted blocks. In terms of totals, the Lakers are also second in digs, third in kills, and fourth in assists among all conference teams.
 
Ferris State - with a 3-0 loss to #10 Wheeling Jesuit on Sept. 26 and the setback at NMU on Saturday - ranks second in the conference in hitting percentage and assists per set, third in digs per set, solo blocks, and kills per set. The Bulldogs also have the fewest hitting errors, reception errors, and ball handling errors of any team in the league.
 
These teams have met in the NCAA playoffs each of the last two years, including the most recent meeting in Allendale coming in last season's Midwest Region semifinals. GVSU earned a tight 3-0 sweep (25-22, 26-24, 25-23) over the Bulldogs last season en route to capturing the ninth regional championship in school history the next night, with a 3-0 victory over Rockhurst in the title match.
 
With an 8-2 home record, the Lakers will stay home for two more matches this weekend. GVSU will take on Northwood on Friday (Nov. 6) at 7:00 p.m. before honoring the team's seven seniors on Saturday (Nov. 7) against Lake Superior State. That Senior Day match will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the team's final regular season home match.