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Nov. 7, 2025, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 13th-ranked Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team continued its dominant postseason run Friday, sweeping Southwestern Michigan College 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-20) to advance to the NJCAA Great Lakes District B Championship match. The Raiders, now 23-2 and riding a 21-match win streak, will play for a trip to the national tournament on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Ford Fieldhouse.

The Raiders were sharp from start to finish, opening the match with a commanding .419 hitting percentage in the first set, recording 16 kills and just three errors. GRCC also fired in five aces, including two from sophomore Cece Huizingh, to grab early momentum.

In the second set, GRCC held a 22-17 lead before a 5-0 run from the Roadrunners tied things up at 22-22. Freshman Vanessa Walker then delivered back-to-back kills to make it 24-22, and after SMC pulled within one, the Raiders called timeout to set up the perfect play — a set-winning kill by sophomore Christina Williams to go up 2-0.

The third set saw GRCC stay in control, leading by five or six points nearly the entire way. A block combo from Kirstyn Lothschultz and Williams sealed the sweep, 25-20.

GRCC finished with eight aces, six blocks, and just two reception errors in one of its most complete performances of the season.

Walker turned in a memorable night, earning her first career triple-double with 11 kills, 15 assists, 10 digs, and two blocks. Sophomore Taylor Kik tallied a match-high 13 kills and eight digs, and in doing so, surpassed the 700 career kill milestone — her total now stands at 713.

Sophomore setter Ava Tarsi orchestrated the offense with 22 assists, one shy of her season high, while adding a team-best three aces and a season-high 12 digs. Huizingh anchored the defense with 18 digs, her second-highest total of the season and her third straight match with at least 14.

Freshman Kaylee Kranz added seven kills to round out a balanced attack.

Southwestern Michigan fell to 28-8 with the loss. They will face Mott Community College — who GRCC swept Thursday — in Saturday's 11:00 a.m. elimination match, with the winner advancing to take on the Raiders in the 1:30 p.m. championship. The victor will earn a berth to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, held November 19–22 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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Interested in supporting GRCC Athletics?  All donations can be done through GRCC Athletic's Scholarship Fund and can specify what scholarship fund the gift is going to, such as the Hofmann scholarship. If you have any questions on how to support Athletics at Grand Rapids Community College, contact the Athletic Department via phone at (616) 234-3883 or email grccathletics@grcc.edu. Any support is appreciated and goes towards assisting our student-athlete scholarship funds.