ALLENDALE, MICH. – The GVSU women's volleyball team begins GLIAC play this weekend, with two rivals coming to town. Leading off will be a ranked matchup against Ferris State on Friday, with Davenport visiting on Saturday.
 
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The Lakers are coming off another 8-0 weekend, as they went 4-0 at home, playing in the Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic. They took down Northwood in five sets on Thursday, defeated Tiffin in four on Friday, swept MWSU Friday night, then swept Bemidji State Saturday afternoon. For her efforts on the weekend, Paige Sanders was named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week, as she tallied 24 total blocks, 24 kills, and two service aces. The hot start to the season has vaulted the Lakers up to #16 in the AVCA national poll, their highest mark since 2015.
 
Also entering GLIAC play undefeated is ninth-ranked Ferris State. The Bulldogs have begun the year 7-0, only dropping three sets all year. Their best win of the season came in their opener, as they took down then third-ranked West Texas A&M in five sets. They have the reigning GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week and the Setter of the Week, as Olivia Henneman-Dallape and Kaylee Maat earned the honors. Henneman-Dallape has been dominant all season, tallying 106 kills on a .374 hitting percentage, ranking in the top five in the conference in both. Maat has dished out 236 assists, also top five in the league, and has set up the Bulldog offense to lead the conference with a .280 hitting percentage. These two teams split the two regular season matchups last season, both winning at home. But Ferris State took down GVSU in the conference tournament championship game to win the season series 2-1.
 
On Saturday, it is Alumni Day for the Lakers, as they welcome back past players for the weekend. On that day, they will host crosstown rival Davenport. The Panthers have struggled out the gate, going 2-6 to start the season. They have defeated Trevecca Nazarene and Glenville State for their lone wins, winning just three other sets in the six losses. They have two players leading their offense, Rachel Youngblood (85 kills) and Abby Alan (84) kills. Setter Mehl Hansen has distributed 182 assists this year, while Hayley Carr has been on the backline collecting 130 digs. GVSU took both matchups last season, sweeping at home, then winning in five sets on the road.
 
How to Follow
All games will be available to stream on FloSports. The two games will also have live stats as well to follow along with. For full coverage of the game, including live in-game updates, follow @GVSUVOLLEY on Twitter and visit gvsulakers.com.