SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State volleyball team will begin Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) competition this weekend as they face the Wayne State Warriors in Detroit, Mich. at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 17. The Lakers will follow with a match against the Cardinals of Saginaw Valley State University on Saturday, September 18 at 2:00 p.m. in Saginaw, Mich.
After posting an 0-8 start to the season, the Lakers will look to start anew in conference competition.
The Lakers are coming off back-to-back weekends of tournament play, where they have faced some of the top ranked teams in all of Division II. At the Hampton Inn Invitational last weekend, the Lakers fell in straight sets to Minnesota Duluth and Quincy on the first day of competition, and fell in four sets to both Colorado Christian and Minnesota State on the second day of the tournament.
This season, the Lakers have looked to senior middle hitter Camdyn Odykirk who has recorded 51 kills in competition thus far. Odykirk also leads her squad with seven solo blocks and 14 block assists this season. Sophomore libero Emily Hagelthorn leads Lake Superior State in digs this season with a total of 109 against opponents. The Lakers have also seen strong performances from the team's pair of setters as Emily Kalinowski leads the team with 102 assists while Halle Grulke follows with 101 assists this season.
Wayne State Warriors, Detroit, Mich.
The Warriors have started off strong this season, taking a victory in six of their first eight matches to hold a 6-2 record on the year. The Warriors are led offensively by redshirt-senior Lauren VanderWal, who has tallied a team high 104 kills on the season. On the other hand, junior libero Maddy Benoit leads her team with 141 digs. The Warriors are coached by the eight-year veteran Tim Koth who has led the Warriors to five postseason appearances in his tenure.
Saginaw Valley State Cardinals, Saginaw, Mich.
SVSU is currently undefeated, proudly representing an 8-0 record on the season. In this run, the Cardinals have been led in kills by senior outside hitter Maria Vukaj who averages 3.83 kills a set this year. Defensively, the Cardinals look to freshman libero Caitlinn Pistro who has 124 digs on the year. On the cardinals bench, head coach Will Stanton will look to rely on his experience in his 20th season as the lead man in the Cardinal program.
What's Next:
Following these matches, the Lakers will begin a five-game homestand starting with the team's home-opener on Friday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. against the Michigan Tech Huskies. The Lakers will wrap up the weekend with a second GLIAC match, against the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 2:00 p.m.Both matches will take place in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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