GVSU women’s tennis opens season with 9-0 victory over Walsh

The Grand Valley State women’s tennis team opened their spring season on Sunday, Feb. 18, claiming a 9-0 victory over Walsh College. The Lakers won the GLIAC regular-season title and the GLIAC Tournament, and they now have won 14 straight matches dating back to the fall season.

No. 1 singles Madison Ballard came out with a victory in a 7-5, 6-4 decision. Alexa Sweeney claimed another point for GVSU after she won 6-2, 6-2 from the No. 2 singles spot, while Aimee Moccia won from No. 3 singles by a score of 6-3, 6-2. Abby Perkins battled hard from the No. 4 spot, as she won the first set 6-2, but fell in the second set 4-6. Perkins came back strong in the third and won 10-7. Olivia Hanover and Livia Christman both had strong performances and claimed victories from the No. 5 and No. 6 singles spots, with scores of 6-2, 6-2, and 6-0, 6-1.

The success continued for the Lakers in doubles actions, as Moccia and Sweeney won 8-3 from No. 1 doubles, while Ballard and Hanover tabbed another point for GVSU after they won 8-4 from the No. 2 doubles position. Perkins and Christman claimed the Lakers’ 9th point of the evening after they won 8-1 from No. 3 doubles. 

GVSU’s next match will be Friday, March 2, as they head to the east side of the state to face Eastern Michigan.

GVSU lacrosse adds new assistant coach to staff

The Grand Valley State Lakers and head women’s lacrosse coach Alicia Groveston announced the hiring of Chelsey Bishop as an assistant coach for the 2018 season. Bishop was a four-year attacker for the Lakers from 2014-17 and is joining the staff to assist with the offense as well as strength and conditioning.

Bishop appeared in 56 games for the Lakers during her four-year career, helping GVSU to GLIAC regular-season titles in all four campaigns and GLIAC Tournament titles in her first three seasons. Her breakout junior season helped the Lakers to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016.

She ranks third all-time in program history with 50 career assists, and she posted 14 goals during her four years in Allendale. Bishop scored seven goals in her junior season to go along with 35 assists en route to an All-GLIAC honorable mention. She had multiple assists in eight different games during her junior campaign. She also earned GLIAC All-Academic honors for her senior year.

Bishop and the Lakers begin the 2018 season on Saturday, March 3, on the road against Kutztown. 

GVSU track & field’s Bobbie Goodwin earns GLIAC Field Athlete of the Week

Grand Valley State junior Bobbie Goodwin was named the GLIAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week following the eighth weekend of the 2017-18 indoor track and field season, per a release by the league office. This is Goodwin’s second conference award this season, as she received the honor during the third week of the season.

Goodwin had another strong weekend as she placed first during the GVSU Tune-Up after she hit an NCAA provisional mark and set a new personal best of 19.31 meters in the weight throw. Goodwin now holds the second-best distance in the GLIAC and the sixth best in Division II.