ALLENDALE, MICH. – Basketball season is finally here, and the Grand Valley women's basketball team prepares to tip off their season this weekend in Missouri. The Lakers take on Missouri-St. Louis tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm, then they turn around and play Maryville on Saturday afternoon, also at 2pm.
 
The Lakers are coming off of a 31-3 season, in which the won the GLIAC regular season title, and made a trip to the NCAA Final Four. Most of the core from that team returns, including three first-team all-conference members, Emily Spitzley, Ellie Droste, and Rylie Bisballe. Also returning is GLIAC all-defensive team member Hadley Miller, as well as fourth leading scorer Hannah Kulas and second leading rebounder Courtney Sharland. Spitzley, Droste, Bisballe, and Kulas were the top four scorers a season ago, with the first three all average double-figures. In both the national and league preseason poll, the Lakers were selected number one, earning nine first place votes in each poll.
 
Grand Valley opened up preseason play with an exhibition against Division III runner-up Wisconsin-Whitewater last Friday, beating them 84-33, with Joslyn Brennan leading all scorers with 15 points. Paige Vanstee and Emily Spitzley each had 12, while Hannah Kulas added 10. Both opponents the Lakers play this weekend, traveled up to Allendale last season and suffered defeats at the hands of the Lakers. GV beat UMSL 61-54 and Maryville 62-32 to open us the 2021-22 season.
 
Missouri-St. Louis is also coming off a successful season a year ago, going 23-6 and making the NCAA Tournament, before falling in the first round to Drury. The Tritons were picked to finish third in the GLVC this year under reigning GLVC coach of the year Katie Vaughn who enters her eleventh season in charge. UMSL is led by returning GLVC first-team member Kiara Stewart, the Tritons leading scorer a rebounder from a year ago, averaging 13.8 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting over 63% from the field. The 2022 GLVC freshman of the year Mallory Ronshausen also returns, after averaging nine points per game and hitting 55 threes a season ago. The Tritons also played one exhibition contest to prepare for the season, as they took on Division I opponent Eastern Illinois on Monday, falling 65-54. This will be the seventh time the two teams have met, with Grand Valley winning the previous four matchups.
 
To round out the weekend, the Lakers will take on Maryville University Saturday afternoon. The Saints were 13-14 a season ago, and were selected to finish tied for 8^th in the preseason GLVC poll. This will be the opening game of Brita Hand's tenure at Maryville, as she was hired has the team;s new head coach last April. The Saints return their top nine scorers from a season ago, highlighted by Antoinette Mussorici's 16 points per game last year and 36% shooting from deep. Second leading scorer and leading rebounder Taylor Kirby is also back for Maryville, as she averaged 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds, while also leading the team in blocks. Maryville is 0-4 is their history against Grand Valley, with no game being closer than 18 points.
 
Both games this weekend will be available to follow through live stream or live stats. For full coverage of the game, including live in-game updates, follow @gvsuwbb on Twitter and visit gvsulakers.com.