Northern Michigan (Friday, 7:00 p.m.): Video | Live Stats
Michigan Tech (Saturday, 4:00 p.m.): Video | Live Stats
 
After consecutive weekends away from home, the Grand Valley State volleyball team is back in the Fieldhouse Arena this weekend for a pair of contests against Upper Peninsula opponents. GVSU will take on Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech in Allendale this weekend, as the Lakers look to improve upon their fourth-place standing in the GLIAC ranks.
 
At 12-9 overall and 6-4 in conference play, Grand Valley State hosts Northern Michigan (13-11, 4-6 GLIAC) at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night (Oct. 28). That match can be seen live on ESPN3 and Xfinity 900 throughout Michigan. On Saturday (Oct. 29), the Lakers welcome Michigan Tech (11-12, 6-4 GLIAC) for a 4:00 p.m. contest, which can be viewed through the GVSU Lakers YouTube page. Click the above 'Video' links to watch either match.
 
Last weekend, GVSU earned a solid road split against Wayne State and Findlay, the two teams who entered those contests tied for first place in the GLIAC standings. Grand Valley State swept Wayne State on the Warriors' home floor, giving WSU only its second home loss of the season. Following that Friday victory, the Lakers were able to take a set from Findlay on Saturday afternoon, but the Oilers won the final two sets to prevail in a four-set victory.
 
Currently, Grand Valley State is in a three-way tie with Saginaw Valley State and Michigan Tech at 6-4 in the GLIAC standings; that trio is tied for fourth place in the league. There are currently eight teams within two losses of each other, all of which are battling to keep pace with conference leader Ferris State (9-1 GLIAC), Findlay (9-2), and Wayne State (8-3).
 
Of those 11 teams previously mentioned in something of a logjam in the league standings, GVSU still plays five of those schools in its final seven matches, including both opponents this weekend. With a 3-1 home record, the Lakers will also host Northwood and Hillsdale on the final regular season weekend (Nov. 11-12).
 
Last Friday's road sweep at Wayne State was impressive, as the Lakers won by straight set scores of 25-16, 25-20, and 25-16. GVSU owned a large advantage in hitting percentage (.267 to .035) over the league's first-place team and posted a 9-4 edge in total blocks. Freshman Jayci Suseland's 19 kills were not only a match-best, but no other player in the contest had more than eight kills. Junior setter Katie Olson dished out 22 assists and picked up a team-high 12 digs in the win.
 
With the best offense in the league with a .257 team hitting percentage, Findlay used its offense to its advantage in Saturday's win over the Lakers. UF hit .312 in the contest, but it was the Oilers' 11-1 edge in blocks that really set a tone in the match. While the teams split the first (UF 25-18) and second (GVSU 25-21) sets, the Oilers closed out the match by winning sets three and four. Sophomore Staci Brower paced the Lakers with 10 kills, while freshman libero Sydney Benchley recorded a match-high 16 digs and two aces.
 
The Lakers continue to have the GLIAC's top ranking in both kills per set (13.46) and assists per set (12.70), with both of those figures also leading the league in conference-only matches. GVSU is also third in the GLIAC in digs per set (17.79) and fifth in team hitting percentage (.211) and although that number only slightly improves to .216 in conference matches, the team's ranking bumps up to second overall against league competition.
 
Grand Valley State has alternated wins and losses over its past six matches, having not have similar consecutive results since back-to-back 3-1 wins over Tiffin and Ashland at home on Oct. 7-8, the last time the Lakers played in their home gym.
 
Despite a 13-11 overall record, Northern Michigan has a strange breakdown of their results in home/road/neutral matches. Just 1-4 on their home floor, the Wildcats improve to 5-3 in true road matches and 7-4 in neutral site contests. NMU won four straight matches in mid-September before dropping five of six matches in a two-week span, with the lone victory coming against Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech.
 
After that 1-5 stretch into October, the Wildcats won four consecutive matches, including all three at the Midwest Region Crossover on Oct. 14-15. Last weekend, however, NMU fell at home against Ohio Dominican (3-2) and Lake Erie (3-0).
 
Northern Michigan is first in the GLIAC in service aces (150), but also second in service errors (223). The Wildcats rank in the top-five in all blocking categories, including block assists (first, 279), total blocks (second, 194), blocks per set (fourth, 1.99), and solo rejections (fifth, 54). NMU is also second in the league in kills (1,238) and third in hitting percentage (.225).
 
Junior right side Madison Whitehead is fourth in the GLIAC in both hitting percentage (.345) and kills (303), while totaling 68 total blocks. Classmate and middle hitter Kayla Chosa has notched 82 total blocks (fifth in the league) and 229 kills, while senior Bridget Bussell is not far behind in either category with 207 kills and 73 rejections.
 
Slated to finish sixth in the GLIAC North Division, Michigan Tech is tied for fourth in the overall league standings entering this weekend. The Huskies are 4-4 in true road contests and while travel partner Northern Michigan lost both matches against Ohio Dominican and Lake Erie, Michigan Tech defeated both of those opponents (3-0 over ODU, 3-2 versus Lake Erie).
 
MTU has been up and down all season, with a three-match losing streak and a two-match win streak being their longest stretches of the year. The Huskies went 1-2 at the Midwest Region Crossover and are 5-4 in the month of October with a pair of five-set victories.
 
Michigan Tech is above .500 in the league standings despite owning the fifth-most attack errors and third-most service errors of any team in the league. Offensively, the Huskies are sixth in the conference in both kills (1,134) and assists (1,058). Comparing overall matches to GLIAC-only matches, MTU goes from 11th to third in kills per set (13.13), ninth to third in hitting percentage (.208), and 10th to third in service aces per set (1.45).
 
Senior outside hitter Aubrey Ficek leads the Huskies with 300 kills (fifth-most in the league) and 119 digs, while freshman outside hitter MacAulay Peterson has posted 230 kills and 102 digs. Another outside hitter, sophomore Mariah Sherman has notched 177 kills , while junior middle blocker Lauren Emmert leads MTU with 72 total blocks and is fourth with 158 kills.
 
After this brief homestand, the Lakers head on the road three times next week. GVSU faces Ferris State (Tuesday, Nov. 1), Saginaw Valley State (Friday, Nov. 4) and Lake Superior State (Saturday, Nov. 5) next weekend to close out the road portion of its regular season schedule.