GVSU men’s basketball drops exhibition against University of Michigan

For a Division II program, facing one of the most storied athletic programs in Division I history may seem like a task larger than life.

However, the Grand Valley State Lakers held their own in an exhibition match against the University of Michigan Wolverines Friday, Nov. 3, at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Although the Wolverines captured a 82-50 victory, the Lakers showed glimpses of their true potential against a program that made it to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA March Madness Tournament last spring.

Redshirt sophomore and recent Central Michigan transfer Hunter Hale led GVSU in scoring with 8 points all coming in the second half. Senior guard Chris Dorsey had a team-high six rebounds while also adding 6 points. 

The strongest facet of the Lakers’ performance was their rebounding. GVSU pulled down 37 rebounds off the glass, compared to the 43 by a much bigger Wolverine squad.

The Lakers will begin regular season play Friday, Nov. 10, against the University of Missouri-St. Louis in Big Rapids, Michigan, in the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover Series. The Lakers’ first home game is Tuesday, Nov. 14, against Olivet in the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.

GVSU men’s golf coach recognized by Golf Digest magazine

Grand Valley State men’s golf head coach Gary Bissell, who just complete his third season as coach, found his name in headlines after turning around the program to one of the best in the state of Michigan.

The Golf Digest magazine noticed Bissell’s work, naming him one of the top golf teachers in the state of Michigan. More specifically, Bissell was ranked as the sixth best coach in the state while being just one of three college coaches to earn the honor. 

During the team’s fall season, the Lakers experienced a higher level of success than in previous years. The team competed in four competitions and never finished lower than third place. The fall season was highlighted by their performance at the Al Watrous Invitational, where they took home first place after shooting a 16-under as a team. The score broke the program’s record for best team performance by seven strokes. 

Although their season is now over until the spring, GVSU currently ranks 10th in Division II, per the weekly rankings by Golfstat, the largest provider of intercollegiate golf statistics. Alex Scott, one of the leaders on GVSU’s team, currently ranks as the fourth best golfer in Division II after posting an average score of 70.11.

GVSU Athletics announces Veterans Day promotions

With Veterans Day being Saturday, Nov. 11, Grand Valley State Athletics will be focusing its  many sporting events that day around the national holiday. 

The Laker football team will be hosting regular-season opponent Tiffin University at 1 p.m. at Lubbers Stadium, while the women’s volleyball team will host Davenport University at 4 p.m. in the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena that Saturday.

The Laker football team will honor their veterans by wearing a special “Dress White” uniform inspired by the U.S. Navy. Along with the uniforms, the coaching staff will honor our armed service veterans by wearing specially designed game gear.

For volleyball, the GVSU team will be wearing “frog man” uniforms to honor those in the U.S. Navy Seals. Before the game, the Grand Rapids Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol will be presenting the colors prior to the game. 

The first 500 volleyball fans will receive a GVSU Veterans Day hat, courtesy of Campus View.