ALLENDALE, MICH. – The Grand Valley State women's volleyball team begins another weekend of GLIAC play, hosting Wayne State on Thursday, followed by a trip to Purdue Northwest on Saturday.
 
Wayne State: Live Stats | Video | Tickets | Thursday | 6:00 EST
Purdue Northwest: Live Stats | Video | Saturday | 3:00 EST
 
The Lakers picked up two huge road victories on Friday and Saturday, defeating then #12 Ferris State in five sets on Friday, then taking down Davenport in four the next day. They now are atop the GLIAC standings at 4-0, a game up on the three teams in second. GVSU had two players earn GLIAC weekly honors this week, with Meghan O'Sullivan getting Offensive Player of the Week and Brianna Stawski garnering Defensive Player of the Week honors. Over the two games, O'Sullivan tallied 25 kills, 44 assists, and 20 digs, hitting at a .300 clip, including notching a triple-double against the Bulldogs. Stawski had a monster weekend at the net, recording 16 total blocks, three solo and 13 block assists, while contributing 21 kills. Her 12 blocks against Davenport are the new high for a game this season across the entire conference. The two wins moved the Lakers up one spot in the AVCA poll, now sitting in 18th.
 
Wayne State started the season off hot, beginning 8-1, but they faltered in both matches last week, falling on the road to Ferris State and Davenport. At 8-3 overall, and 2-2 in the conference, the Warriors are tied for fifth, two games back of GVSU. Wayne State has one of the top defenses in the league, holding opponents to a conference-low .128 hitting percentage, allowing the fewest kills at 10.62 a set, while ranking third in blocks per set with 2.23. Their two middle blockers rank in the top four in hitting percentage, with Kayla Giroux ranking second at .392 and Katerina Stout swings .331, ranking fourth. Giroux is also third in the league with 3.62 kills per set, while Stout is third in blocks, recording 1.14. Setter Kayla Dulgar is second with 10.26 assists per set, and libero Kendyl Andrews has 4.28 digs per set, ranking third in the league. Both games last season between the Warriors and Lakers lasted five sets, with GVSU coming away victorious in each.
 
Purdue Northwest is one of three teams a game back of the Lakers in the GLIAC standings, entering the weekend at 3-1 in league play and 6-4 overall. Thus far in conference play, they have defeated Roosevelt, SVSU, and LSSU, while falling to Parkside on the opening weekend of play. The Pride lead the league in service aces per set, dealing out 2.26 a set, led by the GLIAC leader, Marina Gronkiewicz, who has 0.76 a set. Gronkiewicz is also seventh in the league in assists, with 311, with her primary attacker Anika Huelskamp posting over 100 kills. The Lakers have won all 15 matchups over the Pride, since the two started playing back in 2017, with 12 being sweeps.
 
How to Follow
Both games are available to follow along with via live stats or live stream on FloSports. For full coverage of the game, including live in-game updates, follow @GVSUVOLLEY on Twitter and visit gvsulakers.com.