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After a couple of weeks of preseason camps, the Grand Valley State volleyball team will finally take the court for their first regular season contest at the Raven First Serve Invitational, hosted by Franklin Pierce, in Rindge, N.H. on August 24 & 25. The Lakers will open their season with a 12:00 PM contest against Wilmington and a 6:00 PM match against New Haven on the 24th. The following day, the Lakers will be right back in action against Franklin Pierce and Tampa at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, respectively. 
 
Head coach Deanne Scanlon is entering her 24th season at the helm of the Laker program in 2018. The all-time winningest coach in GVSU program history, Scanlon has amassed a 577-191 (.751) record and has guided the Lakers to a 325-87 (.789) GLIAC record. Scanlon sealed her 23rd straight winning season. Scanlon is joined by associate head coach Jason Johnson, who is entering his 20th season, and Abby Aiken, who is entering her second season as a full-time assistant. 
 
In the 2018 GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the reigning south division champion Lakers were picked to finish second in the division. GVSU trailed Wayne State by just five points in the poll and the two teams combined for 11 of the 12 first-place votes. Following the Warriors and Lakers was Ashland (40 points), Davenport (30 points, 1 first-place vote), GLIAC newcomer Wisconsin-Parkside, and Purdue Northwest. 
 
Last season GVSU finished their season 16-12 overall and 11-5 in conference action and took home their first ever GLIAC South Division title (GVSU was previously part of the GLIAC North Division). After going 6-1 to finish the season, the Lakers fell in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Wayne State in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament. 
 
Leading the Lakers into their 2018 campaign is three-time All-GLIAC First Team honoree Staci Brower. Brower has led the Lakers in nearly every offensive and blocking category since her freshman season in 2015. Last year, she ranked first in kills (306), kills per set (2.83), hitting percentage (.311) while also leading in total blocks (96), blocks per set (.89), assisted blocks (72), and solo blocks (24). Also returning around the net with Brower is fellow senior Hannah Murdock, who moved from outside hitter to the right side. Murdock ranked inside the top-five in most offensive categories in her first season in Allendale after transferring from Michigan State. 
 
New around the net will be freshman Ali Thompson at the middle blocker position and outside hitter Abby Graham. 
 
Junior Kendall Yerkes spent her first two seasons with the Lakers at the outside hitter position but recently made the transition to libero where she has excelled and secured the starting spot heading into this first weekend. Also looking for time at the libero and defensive specialist positions will be Kaylene Norris, Sydney Benchley, and transfer Dacey Perez. 
 
The Lakers will feature a new starting setter for the first time in nearly three years, as Frankie Cavallaro and Ashlyn Kartes look to replace Katie Olson as the setup player. Cavallaro will see the start this weekend but Kartes has made big strides from her freshman season. Freshman Brooke Binkley has been working with both the setters and the defensive specialists so far this season and could see time at either position. 
 
Here is a brief preview of GVSU's opening weekend at the Raven First Serve Invitational: 
 
Wilmington – Friday (Aug. 24) – 12:00 PM
 
The Wildcats of Wilmington finished their 2017 campaign with a 14-18 overall record and a 10-9 mark in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), finishing fourth and missing out on the conference tournament. This season, the Wildcats were picked to finish fifth in the CACC South Division and return their top three kills leaders from last as well as their top blocker in junior Rebecca Rawlinson. Mandy Behiels, Jill Braunsberg, and Brittany Ford will look to lead the Wildcat attack. 
 
This will be the first ever meeting between the Lakers and the Wildcats. 
 
New Haven – Friday (Aug. 24) – 6:00 PM
 
The New Haven Chargers are coming off of a successful 2017 season after going 26-8 overall and 14-0 in the Northeast-10 (NE10). After three straight 3-2 victories to win their conference tournament, the Chargers made a run to the NCAA Division II Quarterfinal match where they fell to eventual national champion Concordia – St. Paul. The Chargers return the 2017 NE10 Setter of the year in senior Kristine Rios and NE10 Rookie of the Year Kali Greathead, a sophomore outside hitter. New Haven also welcomes back three other returners and adds six newcomers to their squad. 
 
This will be the fifth meeting between the Lakers and Chargers with each team notching two wins. The last meeting between the two squads was back in 2001 however, with the Lakers taking the 3-0 victory on their home floor. 
 
Franklin Pierce – Saturday (Aug. 25) – 10:00 AM
 
Franklin Pierce posted an 8-17 overall record and a 6-8 mark in the NE10 conference, missing out on the postseason tournament. The Ravens opened their 2018 campaign on Thursday, Aug. 23 against Texas A&M International, falling on their home floor 3-0. Franklin Pierce lost their top two attackers from a season ago, but return Abigail Garnhart and Brittney Carias, who posted 113 and 110 kills to rank third and fourth on the team, respectively. Garnhart also ranked second on the team with 43 total blocks last season. On the defensive side, Jocelyn Moody returns after tallying a team-high 374 digs. 
 
This will also be the first meeting between the Lakers and Ravens. 
 
Tampa – Saturday (Aug. 25) – 2:00 PM
 
Tampa, who received votes in the first AVCA Preseason Poll back on Aug. 9, wrapped up their 2017 campaign with an 18-14 overall record and a 13-7 mark in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) and were picked to finish third in the SSC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Spartans advanced to their 22nd consecutive NCAA Regional Tournament but fell to West Florida in four sets during the first round. Returning for Tampa are 2017 SSC All-Conference honorees Taylor Fosler and Sorrel Houghton. Fosler tallied 253 kills and a .385 attack percentage while Houghton racked up 329 kills and 29 blocks. Setter Sammy Mueller also returns as well as Nicole Dominguez, the Spartans leading point scorer. 
 
Tampa leads the all-time series over the Lakers, 6-2. The two teams' last meeting was back in 2010 when the #2 ranked Spartans took down GVSU 3-0 in the NCAA Elite Eight.