BIG RAPIDS, MICH. – For the first time since 2014 the Grand Valley women's volleyball team advances to the GLIAC tournament championship match after a thrilling five set win over Northern Michigan.
"I was impressed with our team's resiliency those last two matches. To lose set on Wednesday and then again tonight after leading 24-21, and to come back to win set five shows great grit and resiliency," head coach
Jason Johnson remarked. "I don't think it was a super high-level match from an execution standpoint, but both teams fought hard and found ways to make plays at key moments, and we ended up making two more plays than NMU tonight."
NMU was able to take control of set one early on and they never relinquished it, taking it 25-17. The second set was back and forth for the entirety of the set, and with the two teams tied late at 23 apiece, Grand Valley got two straight points after an attack error by the Wildcats and then a set winning kill from
Jordyn Gates to win 25-23. Northern got out to an early 4-2 lead in set three, but the Lakers were able to respond and tied the set at seven points, then eventually took the lead at 18-17, and they would never give that lead up, winning 25-22. Set number four was close throughout, with neither team able to take control until Grand Valley used a late run to go up 24-21. However, the Wildcats would not back down, scoring the final five points of the set to force a game five with a 26-24 win. Grand Valley got up 8-5 to open the final set, but again Northern came back and was able to force match point up 14-13. They would never score again, as the Lakers scored the final three points on a Wildcat set error, a kill from
Kendall Stover, then a block assist from
Mattie McCabe and Gates to give the Lakers the 16-14 win and a spot in the championship match.
Jordyn Gates tallied her 12
th triple-double of the season, taking over the NCAA lead, recording 18 kills, 22 assists, and 18 digs, while also adding six blocks.
Kendall Stover had 13 kills and seven digs, while
Sarah Wight had nine kills and nine blocks, which tied a career-high.
Savannah Thompson had eight kills and 12 digs and
Rachel Jacquay dished out 27 assists.
Up Next
The Lakers move on to the GLIAC Championship match tomorrow afternoon at 4pm where they will take on host Ferris State.
