Grand Valley State returned to Allendale and played very well on its home floor on Friday night (Nov. 11), as the Lakers topped Northwood in a straight set sweep. Despite the score being tied 19 times in the contest, GVSU won by scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 25-19.
The victory put the Lakers at 15-12 overall and 9-7 in GLIAC play and certainly improved Grand Valley State's chances to compete in the GLIAC Tournament next week. GVSU is one win ahead of Lake Erie (8-7) for seventh place in the league standings, with Tiffin (9-8) still within striking distance. With the loss, Northwood fell to 13-14 overall and 4-12 in conference action.Â
It took GVSU just 73 minutes to finish off the Timberwolves. Grand Valley State had leads in hitting percentage (.215 to .032), kills (41-29), and a massive 10-1 edge in total blocks.
Freshman
Jayci Suseland delivered a match-high 15 kills and hit .353, while adding five block assists. Sophomore
Staci Brower notched nine kills and a .400 hitting percentage, while recording three rejections.
Sydney Doby was strong as well, as the junior supplied seven kills and a match-best six block assists.
Four Lakers reached double-digits in digs, as the team posted a 66-63 edge over Northwood in that category. Junior setter
Katie Olson led the way with 17 digs, in addition to her 33 assists, two kills, and two aces. Freshman
Sydney Benchley supplied a dozen digs and an ace, as senior
Amanda Glaza (four assists) and sophomore
Taylor Stewart each picked up 11 digs.
GVSU ran off the match's first four points, including a Suseland-Doby rejection and a kill from freshman
Kendall Yerkes. The lead swelled to 14-5 after consecutive kills from redshirt freshman
Madilyn Keller and Doby, but Northwood scored five straight points to make the score 14-10. Grand Valley State responded with a 5-1 run, including two kills apiece from Suseland and Doby. Another 5-1 run closed out the set, punctuated by a Brower-Olson combined block and a set-ending kill from Keller.
There were 11 tie scores in set two, with GVSU finally taking control at 19-18 after a Doby kill ended the final deadlock. Suseland added a kill moments later, then teamed with Doby for a block on the next point. Leading 22-18, Doby put down back-to-back kills to bring up set point. The Lakers would finish the set at 25-21 on a Suseland kill to move ahead 2-0 in the match.
Trailing 14-13 in set three, Suseland and Olson posted consecutive kills to put GVSU in front 15-14. Northwood then committed six hitting errors in the next seven points, with a Brower solo block causing one of the miscues. The lead was 21-17 when Keller notched a kill, followed shortly after by a kill from Olson. GVSU finished the match with the 15th and final kill from Suseland.
Grand Valley State closes out the regular season on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 12) at 2:00 p.m. against Hillsdale. The Lakers will honor their two seniors - Glaza and
Carley Serowoky - prior to the match on the team's annual Senior Day.
Â
