Grand Rapids, MI—GRCC came out on top after a tough 3 set battle against the 5th seeded Kalamazoo Valley Community College. GRCC advanced to the next round of the Region XII District F tournament, and will face Sinclair CC on Saturday morning.
The Raiders came out of the gates strong. After battling back and forth, the Raiders took a commanding 13-5 lead in the first set. KVCC fought back, scoring in bunches, but it wasn't enough to overpower the gritty Raiders squad.
The next set proved to be more of the same.
GRCC powered past KVCC after a fairly even start to grab the set by a score of 25-16 before sealing the match with a 25-23 victory.
Coach Will called the match a good one to win.
"We served well and forced them to play out of their system. It was a good team win."
After getting their first round anxieties out of the way with a big win, the Raiders prep to square off against a highly reputed Sinclair CC team.
Coach KC Gan and company have rebounded nicely after a rather uneventful 2012 season. Although they haven't received a nod in the NJCAA's DII polls, they have produced an impressive 34-4 record. This has been accomplished by outstanding team play.
Sophomore, Jessica Thobe, far and away leads the team with kills. Her 545 Kills is nearly 200 more than the next leading member of the Tartans. Defensively, Thobe is at the top of the charts as well. With just over 5 digs per set, she trails teammate Carly Butler for the team lead.
Despite boasting some seriously impressive statistics, GRCC Athletic Director, Charlie Wells, remains confident.
"They're a tough team. Tough, but we can do it."
GRCC takes the court next on Saturday morning at the Gordon Hunsburger Arena. The Raiders and Tartans clash at 10:00 AM.
