October 10, 2016
Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Tomorrow's match features the 20
th ranked Raiders and the Vikings of Glen Oaks Community College. This match marks just the second time that Chip Will's team has played them with the Raiders getting the best of them in three straight sets earlier this season (25-10, 25-23, 25-13). Let's take a closer look at both teams.
Glen Oaks CC – The visitors, whom haven't had a team since 2005, come into tonight's match with a 2-15 overall record and 1-9 in the conference. The Vikings are lead primary by their two middle hitters, Calsey Gruzdov and Olivia DePriest. Gruzdov (215 points) has a team high 171 kills, 18 aces and 114 digs. She also is 2
nd on the team with 26 blocks. DePriest (130 points) has a team high 31 blocks and is 2
nd with 95 kills. Allison McKibbin (27 kills) and Abbigail Sweet (37 kills) have combined for 72 points thus fare. In their first meeting this season on September 8
th, Gruzdov and DePriest combined for 10 kills and 4 blocks.
Grand Rapids CC – The 20
th ranked Raiders (17-5 overall/11-0 in conference) have won 12 of their last 13 and are looking for their 21
st straight conference victory tonight. Against the Vikings earlier this season,
Rylee Storms (Grand Rapids, MI, Northview '15) and
Emily Farwell (Grand Rapids, MI, Forest Hills Central '15) combined for 18 kills, 9 digs and 2 blocks. Three Raiders had career nights in their last match on Thursday against KVCC. Freshman Middle,
Hannah Sterns (Jenison, MI, Jenison '16), had 8 kills (including 6 in the first set), Farwell had 7 digs, and Freshman Setter,
Lauren Helsen (Coopersville, MI, Coopersville '16) had 26 assists.
Lauren Wieber (Grand Rapids, MI, Kenowa Hills '15) continues to lead the team in kills, with 243. DS's
Janie Bunge (Ottawa Lake, MI, Whiteford '15) and
Kennedy Potts (Muskegon, MI, Mona Shores '16) have combined for 43 of the team's 159 aces. Freshman Middle,
Toryanna DeYoung (Rockford, MI, Rockford '14), leads the team with 65 blocks and she needs just 8 more kills to hit the 100 mark.
A Raider win, keeps them in the driver's seat for their 6
th conference championship in just nine years, with just four conference matches remaining. A win for Glen Oaks means the Raiders would be tied with Muskegon CC for first place in the MCCAA-Western Conference.
The Raiders next game will be at home vs. Muskegon CC at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, October 18
th.
