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#7 Grand Valley State got back on track on Friday night in its second match at the GVSU Laker Riverfront Classic. After falling in four sets to Concordia-Portland earlier in the day in their season opener, the Lakers responded with a solid 3-0 victory over Carson-Newman. GVSU won by straight set scores of 25-22, 25-17, and 25-19, using a powerful offensive effort in the victory.

Both teams are now 1-1, as Carson-Newman won a five-set battle over Quincy earlier in the afternoon. Perhaps the Eagles were tired from that 2-hour, 11-minute contest, but with the way Grand Valley State's offense was connecting, it may not have mattered how fresh Carson-Newman was.

The Lakers totaled 42 kills and just 11 errors for a .320 hitting percentage. Grand Valley State's team that reached the Final Four last season eclipsed a .320 attack mark just once all season, using a .326 clip against Wayne State late in the year.

A large part of that offensive damage came from senior Kaleigh Lound and freshman Staci Brower. Lound, a 2013 AVCA Third Team All-Amercian, posted 10 kills in just 18 swings, committing one error for a .500 hitting clip. She also tallied five blocks (two solo), while Carson-Newman had just one total block as a team. Brower, playing her first day of collegiate volleyball, tallied 15 kills and only two errors for a .520 attack mark in 25 total attempts. 

The duo alternated their efficiency on Friday night. Brower put down six kills in set one, Lound secured six kills and four blocks in the second frame, and Brower closed things in the third set with seven kills in nine swings.

Set one was tight with 10 tie scores and four lead changes, as a three-point lead by GVSU was the largest of the stanza. Leading 23-21, Brower put away two kills in a three-point stretch to finish the 25-22 first set. 

Carson-Newman again kept things close in the second set, leading 10-9 before the Lakers made their run by scoring eight of the next nine points. In a six-point stretch in the middle of the set, Lound smashed a kill, nabbed a solo block, and teamed with fellow senior Kourtney Wolters for a pair of combined rejections on back-to-back points. With GVSU on top 24-17, Lound added another solo block to her tally, ending a terrific frame for the senior. The Lakers hit .455 in set two.

GVSU turned a 9-8 disadvantage into a 19-12 lead by utilizing an 11-3 run, which featured a few different players. Brower had three kills and combined with senior Jessica Majerle on a block, Majerle added two kills, and freshman Kaylene Norris served up back-to-back aces. Freshman Brooke Smith's ace made the score 19-12 and the Lakers wouldn't look back. Freshman Jillian Butsavich's kill made the score 23-18 and Brower closed the match with her 15th kill.

Smith supplied nine digs and six kills, while Wolters picked up 12 digs and added five kills and three blocks. Freshman Taylor Stewart dished out 34 assists and picked up eight digs, as senior Taylor Shomin led all players with 20 pick-ups.

The Lakers will continue play at their home tournament on Saturday. GVSU will face Bemidji State (0-2) at noon in the Fieldhouse Arena before closing out the weekend against Lock Haven (1-1) at 4:00 p.m.