The No. 16 ranked Grand Valley State University women’s volleyball team (9-1) started their conference play against No. 9 ranked Ferris State University (9-0) at home on Friday, Sept. 20, and followed it up the next day, Saturday, Sept. 21. by playing against Davenport University (2-8).
Heading into Friday’s match against the Bulldogs, both teams were undefeated at 8-0, and each looked to spoil their rival’s early winning streak.
The first set began with each team trading points and running up the score. Ferris pulled away various times with three and four-point runs throughout the set, but the Lakers rallied and closed the gap each time. Late kills by junior setter Meghan O’Sullivan and sophomore middle hitter Paige Sanders helped GVSU with a late run. Ferris maintained and took the first set 26-24, despite the narrow lead.
Sanders was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Defensive Player of the Week for her performance at the Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic tournament on Sept. 12-14.
“As soon as you accomplish something, you have to reset your standards to achieve something new,” said Sanders.
After switching sides to start the second set, the game followed a similar script, with each team trading the lead. This time around, the Lakers began to pull away with small runs of their own. The Bulldogs mustered up a strong run to tie the score late 17-17, and with dominance late in the second set, they secured the victory 27-25.
A mix of attack errors and early kills by junior outside hitter Kendall Stover pulled the Lakers ahead to start the third set. GVSU took control in the third, and a ball set up by senior setter Jordyn Gates and senior libero Julia Blaney allowed Stover to give the finishing blow, which secured a 25-11 win for her squad.
A contested fourth set allowed each team to show off their strong offenses and resilience. Starting partway through the set, each team would exchange points until the end, when the Bulldogs came away with the win, 28-26.
“We performed gritty,” said head coach Jason Johnson. “We did not execute well at the end of our sets. We struggle to perform between points 21-24, but I know we can improve on everything that we do. We did a lot of good things tonight, and this is just the beginning of the season. We just have to understand we still have a lot of season left to compete.”
O’Sullivan noted that despite the team’s loss, players had a strong mentality.
“Once we believe in the confidence that we have, we can go a long way,” stated O’Sullivan. “We were the underdog, and tomorrow is a new day and a new game.”
The Lakers rebounded the following day for their alumni game against the Davenport Panthers.
“A big part of our program is keeping alumni around,” said Johnson. “We love having them (as) a part of what we do. It helps that I have been here long enough to know most of our alumni.”
Similar to their previous game against Ferris, GVSU and Davenport exchanged points to begin each set. Halfway through the first and second set, GVSU constructed deep point runs, giving them swift victories 25-17 and 25-11.
The girls were able to complete a sweep for the third and final set, winning 25-22. GVSU outperformed Davenport in all statistical aspects, with five Lakers reaching double-digit kills.
For their next competition, the Lakers will travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to face off against Lake Superior State University on Friday, Sept. 27.
