vs. Ashland (Sept. 8 – 2PM)
Live Stats
 
The Grand Valley State volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (10-25, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23) decision in their GLIAC opener against the Warriors of Wayne State on Friday (Sept. 7) night in Detroit, Mich. With the loss, the Lakers fall to 7-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. GVSU will look to get their first conference victory tomorrow afternoon in Ashland, Ohio as they are slated to face the Eagles of Ashland at 2:00 PM. 
 
Both teams had a tough night offensively, more so for the Lakers unfortunately, as they hit just .090 as a team while the Warriors managed a .145 clip. The Warriors also held the advantage in overall kills 48-38 but both teams were called for 25 errors apiece. There were 20 total blocks in the match as well, 10 for the Lakers and 10 for the Warriors. 
 
Individually, freshman Abby Graham led the Laker squad with 12 kills while hitting a team-best .286 to go along with 13 digs and two aces. Right side hitter Hannah Murdock was second on the team with seven kills on the night, while freshman Ali Thompson and senior Jillian Butsavich tallied six, and Staci Brower picked up four more. Butsavich led the team with six assisted blocks while Brower tallied a team-high three solo rejections. 
 
The first set was all Wayne State, as they score six of the first eight points and 10 of the first 13 to take the early lead over GVSU. After bringing it within six, 10-4, the early deficit the Lakers found themselves in would turn out to be too much for them to overcome. WSU would go on to outscore the Lakers 15-6 the rest of the way to take the first set 25-10 and the 1-0 lead in the match. 
 
Set two was a much tighter affair, as the teams played back and forth volleyball to open the second stanza. The Lakers held slight leads at 4-3 and 7-5 a few points later but the Warriors would fight right back in at everytime the Lakers were on the verge of a run. After going up 12-11 over the Warriors, the Lakers fell in five straight points, as the Lakers jumped out to a 16-12 advantage. The Lakers wouldn't get any closer the rest of the way, eventually falling 25-18 and going down 2-0 in the match. 
 
GVSU finally got things turned around in the third set, quickly building up an 8-4 lead over the Warriors. After a three point run a few points later, GVSU's lead was cut to just two, but they quickly turned it back around and would go up 14-10 after back to back kills from Brower and Frankie Cavallaro. The teams would then trade consecutive four-point runs before the Warriors rattled off two straight. GVSU quickly answered with yet another four point run and would go on to eventually take set three, 25-19, and cut the Warriors lead to just one set in the match, 2-1. 
 
The Lakers got off to a quick start in the fourth set, scoring five of the first six points for the 5-1 lead. The Warriors would score six of the next eight points however to tie the match at 7-all. Both teams would play back and forth volleyball throughout the middle of the set, with GVSU gaining the slim two point lead after posting three straight points thanks to three Warrior errors, 17-15. That would unfortunately be the final lead of the night for GVSU, as the Warriors would battle back to tie the set at 20-all before going on to take the fourth and final set by a slim 25-23 margin. 
 
Again, the Lakers will be back in action tomorrow afternoon (Sat. Sept. 8) as battle the Eagles of Ashland on the road at 2:00 PM.