Quick Hits: GVSU volleyball goes 3-1 over weekend, Men’s Golf team ranked 21st in preseason poll, Men’s Basketball to travel to Canada

By Kellen Voss

GVSU Volleyball team goes 3-1 over the weekend at Raven First Serve Invitational 

The Lakers had a solid weekend in Rindge, N.H., as they won three of the four sets to kick off the season on a high note.

On Friday, they beat Wilmington 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16) before rallying from a 2-1 deficit to win a hard-fought match with New Haven, 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 29-31, 26-24, 15-9). Staci Brower led the team with 27 total kills on the day, while Ashlyn Kartes led the squad with 78 assists in the two matches.

Grand Valley State was able to split their two matches on Saturday, easily beating Franklin Pierce 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-19) before falling to Tampa 1-3 (25-23, 12-25, 22-25, 16-25). The Lakers posted 75 kills on the day, along with 15 aces and 10 blocks.

The Lakers travel to North Canton, Ohio to compete in the Cavalier Classic this weekend. Their first match is with Bloomsburg at 12 p.m.

GVSU tied for 21st in Bushnell Golfweek Division II Preseason Coaches Poll

The Grand Valley State men’s golf team tied for an impressive 21st ranking in the Bushnell Golfweek Division II Preseason Coaches Poll, per a release from the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) on Aug. 24.

Last season, the Lakers advanced to an NCAA tournament appearance for their 16th straight year but fell just short of qualifying for the national championships after finishing sixth at the NCAA Super regionals (only the top five teams advanced).

Despite missing out on the national championships, GVSU took home a lot of hardware in the GLIAC last season, claiming their second straight GLIAC tournament title and placing four golfers on all-conference team lists. 

Alex Scott was named the GLIAC golfer of the year and was joined by Domenic Mancinelli on the first team. Mitchell White and Eric Nunn earned spots on the honorable mention team and head coach Gary Bissell took home his second straight GLIAC Coach of the year award as well.

The Lakers open up their 2018 fall season on September 15-16 at the GLIAC North Invitational at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Mich.

Men’s Basketball to play in Canadian tour this fall

The Grand Valley State men’s basketball team will head up to the Great White North over Labor Day weekend as they will participate in a foreign tour against three Canadian universities.

The Lakers are scheduled to play exhibition matches against York University, Western Ontario and Windsor College over the long weekend. This will be the first time GVSU will play abroad in the 15-year tenure of head coach Ric Wesley.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our team to grow on so many levels,” Wesley said GVSU communications. “Our guys will have a chance to get better in a basketball sense with quality competition, understand a different culture of basketball and get to build chemistry while they each experience something new and unique.”

The team’s first game in the tour will be in York, as they face York University on Sunday, Sept. 2, at 2 p.m.