Box Score  
Battle Creek, Mich. -- For the sixth time in nine years, your Raiders are the MCCAA-Western Conference Champions!  They earned the title after a 27-25, 25-19, 25-18 victory last night over the host Kellogg Community College Bruins.  The win keeps the Raiders unbeaten at 14-0 in the conference with just two matches remaining.  Kellogg dropped to 2-13 in the conference.

The Raiders and Bruins traded points early on in the match, but the Bruins went on a 9-4 run in the middle of the set to lead 18-13 (their biggest lead of the match). The visitors would claw back and tie it up at 19 forcing Kellogg's first timeout of the match.  It was tied again at 23 a piece and 25 all, but the Raiders would score the final two points and take the 1st set, 27-25.  The visitors had 13 kills and four blocks in the set.

The second set was also a back and forth battle and the Raiders led just 19-18 late in the set.  On the next point, Rylee Storms (Grand Rapids, MI, Northview '15), changed the momentum of the set after a spectular kill that ricocheted off a Bruin defender.  Storms would lead her squad in kills when it was all said and done, for the third match in a row.  The Raiders had 14 kills and took the set 25-19.

The Raiders would dominate the third and final set, hitting over .500 for nearly the entire match. They led by as many as 13 and finally got to celebrate the championship after a 25-18 victory. 19 of the teams 46 total kills came in that set.

For the fourth straight match, Freshman setter, Lauren Helsen (Coopersville, MI, Coopersville '16), set her new career high in assists. This time she finished with 40 assists along with 2 aces, 2 kills, 4 digs and a block.  Hannah Sterns (Jenison, MI, Jenison '16) tied her career high with 8 kills but set a new best with a .500 hitting percentage.  The Freshman Middle also contributed with 4 digs and 4 blocks.

Blocking was a big part of the success as the team finished with 9 blocks, led by Toryanna DeYoung (Rockford, MI, Rockford '14) who had 5. Another big reason for the win was the play of Freshman, Hailey DeKorte (Hudsonville, MI, Hudsonville '16), who finished with a career high with 16 digs, second to Janie Bunge's (Ottawa Lake, MI, Whiteford '15) match high of 17.

Storms, who moved up to the teams top attacker (275 on the season), finished with 17 kills, 7 digs and 4 blocks.  The other Raider co-captain, Lauren Wieber (Grand Rapids, MI, Kenowa Hills '15), finished with 11 kills on 33 attempts.

The sixth conference championship all came under the helm of 10th year coach Chip Will.  If his team wins their final two matches, his squad will finished unbeaten in conference play for the fourth time ever.  In 2008, Will's team celebrated their first ever title with a 14-0 record while finished 30-8 overall.  The second time the team finished 14-0 was 2012 when the Raiders would wind up winning the National Championship with a 39-1 record.  2014 was the last year they finished a perfect 14-0 in the conference.  This year with a new added opponent to the conference schedule the Raiders have the chance to go 16-0.

The Raiders final two matches take place next Tuesday at home and Thursday on the road. Tuesday's match against Ancilla College will not only be the final home match for Sophomore's Emily Farwell, Lauren Wieber, Janie Bunge and Kylie Frank, but will also be the annual "Dig Pink Game".

For up to date conference results and standings along with bracketing for this years Regionals visit the MCCAA website.