The #8 Grand Valley State volleyball team ran into a tough opponent in its first match at the Augustana Showcase on Friday afternoon (Sept. 11) in Sioux Falls, SD. Northern State remained unbeaten with a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25-20, 25-22) over the Lakers in GVSU's first of two matches on the tournament's opening day.

Last weekend at the GVSU Laker Riverfront Classic in Allendale, Grand Valley State posted a 3-1 record with three consecutive sweeps to end the weekend. Northern State, however, went a perfect 4-0 at the Rollins Invitational and not only have the Wolves not lost a match, but NSU has won all 15 sets its played this season. GVSU is now 3-2, while Northern State is 5-0.

The Lakers will return to the court at 7:00 p.m. on Friday against Minnesota State Moorhead, a team Grand Valley State swept in the opening match of the 2014 season. 

GVSU's offense was not a major issue against Northern State, as the Lakers hit .240 with 33 kills and only nine errors. In fact, the Grand Valley State defense also owned an 8-4 edge in total blocks. The Wolves, however, totaled 45 kills, hit at a .224 clip, and led 52-42 in digs. Moreover, the Lakers recorded 11 service errors and just a pair of aces. In a match where all three sets were decided by fewer than five points, those mistakes were costly, especially against a good NSU team.

Northern State took an early lead in set one and held that advantage throughout the opener. Looking to run away from the Lakers with a 23-16 lead, GVSU battled back. A pair of attack errors by the Wolves, plus a Kaleigh Lound kill and a combined block from senior Betsy Ronda and freshman Jillian Butsavich helped the Lakers pull back to within 23-20. A kill from Ronda and a service ace from senior Taylor Shomin made the score 24-22, but NSU closed things out with a kill to take set one.

There were seven ties in set two and neither team led by more than three points until the end of the stanza. Grand Valley State tied the score at 11-11 with consecutive kills from freshman Staci Brower and Ronda and things would remain tight at 19-18 after a pair of Brower kills. Northern State extended the lead to 22-19 after a couple Laker errors and won the set with back-to-back aces. Ronda and Brower each had five kills in the second stanza.

Trailing 14-12 in the third frame, GVSU made its comeback. Kills by Lound and Ronda and combined rejections from Lound and Ronda and then Lound and sophomore Sydney Doby pushed the Lakers in front at 18-14. The lead was 19-15 after another Lound kill, but Northern State rattled off the next four points to tie the score. Knotted for the 17th time in the match with a score of 22-22, Northern State ran off the final three points to win the set and match.

Brower paced the Laker offense with a .368 hitting percentage and a team-best 11 kills. Ronda supplied nine kills, six digs, and three block assists, while Lound hit .375 and put down six kills, while blocking five shots. Freshman Brooke Smith's 11 digs were a match-high, while she notched five kills. 

Freshman Taylor Stewart handed out 19 assists, while sophomore Katie Olson tallied 10 assists and seven digs.