Two of the three remaining unbeaten GLIAC teams met in Big Rapids on Tuesday night (Sept. 29) in a Top-25 matchup between West Michigan rivals. After four sets that saw 16 tie scores, #4 Ferris State pulled away from #22 Grand Valley State with a 3-1 victory, winning by scores of 25-16, 26-24, 23-25, 25-20.

Both teams entered Tuesday night with 4-0 records in conference play and were the only two GLIAC teams ranked in this week's AVCA national poll. The win puts FSU at 13-1 overall and 5-0 in league action, while GVSU drops to 8-5 on the year and 4-1 in conference play. Grand Valley State had won four straight matches prior to the defeat.

Despite the loss, the teams were very even on the stat sheet. Ferris State had slight advantages in kills (48-47), assists (44-43), aces (7-3), digs (75-71), and total blocks (13-11). The Bulldogs owned a .142 hitting percentage, while GVSU hit .111 in the match.

The Laker middle hitters led Grand Valley State on the stat sheet. Senior Kaleigh Lound posted team-highs of 13 kills and six block assists, while freshman Staci Brower tallied 12 kills and five total rejections (two solo). Senior Jessica Majerle and freshman Shannon Winicki each recorded eight kills, with Winicki adding three blocks and Majerle supplying two block assists.

A 4-0 Laker run in set one tied the score at 9-9, as Brower had a kill and ace during the stretch. Consecutive Lound kills again tied the score at 11-11 before Ferris State notched the next four points. The Bulldog lead grew to 18-12 and then 22-14 before FSU put the match away a few points later. GVSU totaled eight kills and eight errors in the first set for a .000 hitting percentage.

Lound put down three consecutive kills (all from sophomore setter Katie Olson) early in set two, but Ferris State pushed ahead and took a 15-9 advantage. Trailing 17-12, the Lakers began to chip away, as Brower and Majerle combined for a block and Brower connected for back-to-back kills. When freshman Taylor Stewart aced the Bulldogs, the score was tied at 17-17. Two more Lound kills and a rare Olson kill gave GVSU set point with a 24-22 lead. However, Ferris State scored the next four points to steal the second set, 26-24.

Grand Valley State scored four of the first five points in the third set, but FSU rallied to tie the score at 8-8. Lound and classmate Betsy Ronda combined for a block to put GVSU ahead 10-8; the Lakers would not give up the lead again in the set. Ronda and Majerle connected for kills to keep the lead at 18-15 and GVSU upped the advantage to 22-20 after kills from Brower and Majerle. The Laker lead was 24-22 after a Lound-Majerle combined block, while an FSU attack error ended the frame in GVSU's favor.

Set four was tied 9-9 before Ferris State scored the next three points and would not give up the lead again. A kill from Winicki pulled the Lakers into a 14-13 score, but FSU used a 7-2 run to open a 21-15 advantage. GVSU battled back, with a Brower solo block and kills from Ronda and Winicki making the score 23-20. Ferris State then scored the next two points to take the match.

Olson delivered a double-double with 24 assists and 12 digs, as Ronda added 17 digs and four block assists. Libero Taylor Shomin picked up a match-best 21 digs, while Stewart handed out 15 assists. 

The Lakers are back in Allendale this weekend (Oct. 2-3) to take on Ohio Dominican (Friday night) and Tiffin (Saturday afternoon).