ALLENDALE, MICH. – GLIAC play opens this weekend for the GVSU volleyball team as they make the trip up to the Upper Peninsula to take on Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. The Lakers take on the Huskies at 6:00 on Friday, then the Wildcats at 5:00 on Saturday night.
 
MTU: Live Stats | Video
NMU: Live Stats | Video
 
At 6-0, GVSU is off to the program's best start since 2000 when they went 9-0 to begin the season. The Lakers went 4-0 last weekend at the Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic, defeating Colorado Christian, Tiffin, Clarion, and Ursuline, while only dropping one set along the way. Jordyn Gates, Kendall Stover, and Sarah Wight lead the Laker attack, as they all have recorded over 50 kills on the season. Rachel Jacquay has directed the offense with 118 assists, while Gates has dished out 93. The Lakers have been a force from the service line as well, tallying 46 aces on the year, and their 2.42 service aces per set lead the conference. The last time the Lakers started 2-0 in conference play was 2021 when they also beat both Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan.
 
The Lakers open up GLIAC play against the Huskies, who are entering the game with a 2-6 record. The Huskies only two wins have come against Minnesota Crookston and Southern New Hampshire. This will be only their second home game of the season, as they also opened their season in Houghton as well. Last season the Huskies went 20-10 and fell in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals, and they were picked fourth in the preseason GLIAC Coaches' poll. Outside hitter Lindy Oujiri is the main offensive focal point for the Huskies, tallying 106 kills, while freshman setter Tess Hayes has passed out 262 assists this season. The two teams split the two matchups last year, with each team winning on the road, as GVSU swept the Huskies up in Houghton, then MTU came down to Allendale and left with a 3-1 win.
 
To cap off the weekend, the Lakers will be in Marquette to take on Northern Michigan Saturday night. Coming off a 23-9 season in which they played in the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats were selected to finish third in the preseason GLIAC poll. It has been a tough start to the season for NMU however, as they enter league play at just 1-7, with all seven of the losses coming in their most recent seven games as they enter the weekend. The Wildcats return three All-GLIAC performers from a year ago, led by AVCA Honorable Mention and GLIAC First-Teamer outside hitter Jacqueline Smith. Also returning are First-Team outside hitter Meghan Meyer and Second-Team setter Lauren Van Remortel. Meyer leads the team with 74 kills and eight kills, while Van Remortel has dished out 230 assists and has served up seven aces. Last season, NMU took both regular season matchups against the Lakers, winning in three sets at home, then in five on the road. However, when the two teams met in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals, it was the Lakers coming out on top in five thrilling sets.
 
How to Follow
Both contests will have live stats and live video. For full coverage of the game, including live in-game updates, follow @GVSUVOLLEY on Twitter and visit gvsulakers.com.