Box Score

#14 Grand Valley State opened the year with a 3-0 victory over Minnesota State Moorhead on Friday morning (Sept. 5) at the Oredigger Classic in Golden, Colo. The Lakers, the reigning GLIAC regular season and tournament champions, won by scores of 25-16, 32-30, and 25-22.

The win was also an historic one, as 20th year head coach Deanne Scanlon nabbed the 500th victory of her prestigious career. She is the 17th active member of the 500-win club, owning an overall record of 500-147 for an outstanding .773 winning percentage.
 
GVSU (1-0) came out firing on all cylinders, hitting .364 in the opening set. The Lakers, who scored the match's first four points, held at least a three-point advantage the remainder of the set. After Moorhead (0-1) pulled within 13-9 midway through the frame, Grand Valley State ran off five consecutive points, which featured a pair of combined blocks from seniors Ally Simmons and Kaitlyn Wolters.
 
The Lakers recorded 16 kills against just four errors in the first set, receiving four putaways from senior Abby Aiken, the reigning GLIAC Player of the Year and Daktronics Midwest Region Player of the Year. Simmons and junior Betsy Ronda added three kills apiece.
 
Set two appeared to be in GVSU's control, as the Lakers were on top 19-13. Minnesota State Moorhead, however, responded with six straight points to knot the score at 19-19. That was the one of 16 tie scores in the second frame.
 
The set was again tied at points 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. Facing set point, GVSU fought off a 30-29 deficit on a Dragon attack error, tying the score once more. After another Moorhead hitting error gave the Lakers a set point opportunity, the team seized control with an Aiken kill to end the frame at 32-30.
 
GVSU closed out the match with a win in another tight set. The third frame again saw 16 tie scores, to go along with eight lead changes. Tied for the final time at 22-22, the Lakers forced an MSU hitting error and junior Kaleigh Lound put down a kill to make the score, 24-22.
 
Lound then teamed with senior Kourtney Wolters for a block that ended the match. Overall, the Lakers hit .293 with 51 kills, compared to just a .145 clip and 44 kills for Minnesota State Moorhead. GVSU also played well defensively, with leads in blocks (9-5) and digs (61-53).
 
Aiken led all players with a match-best 14 kills, to go with a .303 hitting percentage and 10 digs. Ronda (16 digs) and Simmons (six total blocks) each recorded nine kills. Senior libero Christina Canepa added a team-best 18 digs, while Kaitlyn Wolters notched 41 assists, seven digs, four kills, and three blocks.
 
Grand Valley State is back in action on Friday evening, as the Lakers will face #20 Wayne State (Neb.) at 5:30 p.m. MT (7:30 p.m. ET).