Live Stats

Two of the three remaining undefeated GLIAC teams will square off in Big Rapids on Tuesday night (Sept. 29), as #22 Grand Valley State will take on #4 Ferris State at 7:00 p.m. The contest is a big early season match for teams that know each other well; GVSU and FSU played seven times in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
 
The Lakers and Bulldogs are both 4-0 in conference action, with Hillsdale being the only other GLIAC team to have not yet lost a match. Grand Valley State is 8-4 on the year, while Ferris State is 12-1 overall.
 
Last season, these teams met four times (three in Allendale) and split those four outings. Each team won on its home floor in the regular season (GVSU doing so in four sets in late-September, FSU winning in five sets in late-October). The final showdown was in the Midwest Region semifinals on Nov. 21, when Grand Valley State swept Ferris State by a 3-0 score before winning the ninth Midwest Region championship in school history one night later.
 
This year's teams are having similar success to the past few seasons. Grand Valley State has won its last four matches, only dropping one set in those four contests. The Lakers swept both Malone and Walsh in Canton, Ohio over the weekend to stay unbeaten in league play.
 
Ferris State won its first 12 matches of the season before falling to #10 Wheeling Jesuit in a 3-0 sweep last Saturday. It was the Bulldogs' second match of the day; FSU had beat Malone 3-0 earlier on Saturday before falling to Wheeling Jesuit. Eight of Ferris State's 12 victories are 3-0 sweeps and it has impressive wins over Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia St. Paul.
 
Defensively, the Lakers are one of the top teams in the league, as GVSU ranks second in in the conference in digs per set (18.85) and blocks per set (2.46). Grand Valley State is also third in kills per set (13.44) and assists per set (12.63) and fourth in total blocks (101) and block assists (150).
 
On Monday, freshman Staci Brower was named the GLIAC North Division Player of the Week for her outstanding weekend against Malone and Walsh, where she hit .404 and totaled 28 kills. Brower ranks third in the GLIAC in kills (3.54) and points (4.30) per set, while placing seventh in kills (138) and hitting percentage (.333).
 
Senior libero Taylor Shomin is sixth in the GLIAC in digs per set (4.49) and seventh in total digs (184) and service aces (16). Fellow senior Kaleigh Lound is fifth in the league in block assists (36), sixth in blocks per set (1.11), and ninth in total rejections (42).
 
GVSU and Ferris State will meet again in Allendale on Nov. 3. This year's senior classes have played nine times over the past three seasons, with the Bulldogs winning five of those nine matches.
 
Overall, Grand Valley State leads the all-time series with FSU by a 68-46 margin. Since the 2005 season - when the Lakers won the Division II National Championship - GVSU owns an 18-8 record against the Bulldogs.