NOV. 1, 2026, ESCANABA, Mich. – The No. 13 Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team continued its postseason dominance Sunday, sweeping both St. Clair County Community College and host Bay College to capture its sixth consecutive MCCAA championship (13th overall).
The Raiders won six straight sets on the day, extending their winning streak to 12 matches, all by sweeps, and improving their overall record to 21-5 as they turn their attention to this week's NJCAA Region XII Tournament.
The three-team tournament featured the champions from each of the MCCAA's three conferences: GRCC representing the West, St. Clair County (SC4) representing the East, and Bay College representing the North. With Bay serving as the tournament host, the Norse received a first-round bye, while the Raiders and Skippers squared off in the semifinals.
SEMIFINAL: RAIDERS SWEEP ST. CLAIR COUNTY, 3-0
GRCC opened the tournament with a 25-17, 25-15, 25-21 victory over St. Clair County to advance to the championship match.
The first set was competitive early, with the Raiders holding a slim 13-12 advantage before pulling away to secure the eight-point victory. Vanessa Walker recorded her fourth kill of the set to put it away.
The Raiders controlled the second set from start to finish, building their advantage and eventually winning by 10. Walker continued her outstanding play, recording seven kills in the set, while Charlee Cochran delivered the final kill for the 25-15 win.
The third set provided the closest competition of the match, with neither team leading by more than two points for much of the way. Trailing 20-19 late, the Raiders took control with a decisive 6-1 run to close out the match. GRCC came up with three blocks and a kill during the stretch before Payton Taylor delivered a match-winning service ace to complete the sweep.
Walker led all players with 13 kills while hitting .333, and added 12 assists and seven digs. Kirstyn Lothschultz contributed 12 kills and three blocks, while sophomore libero Olivia Inthout led everyone with 19 digs and added six assists.
Taylor paced the Raiders with 21 assists, while Avery Powers recorded a match-high five blocks.
CHAMPIONSHIP: RAIDERS ROLL PAST BAY COLLEGE, 3-0
The Raiders carried that momentum into the championship match, delivering one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season in a 25-9, 25-15, 25-15 sweep of host Bay College.
Bay scored the opening point of the match, but that would be the only time the Norse held an advantage. GRCC responded with a dominant first set, hitting an impressive .483 with 16 kills and just two hitting errors to win 25-9.
The Raiders continued their offensive efficiency in the second set, hitting .361 with 15 kills and just two errors to cruise to another 10-point victory.
The third set was even more decisive early, as GRCC jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Bay finally got on the scoreboard. The Raiders continued to dominate offensively, hitting .433 with another 15 kills and just two errors to finish off the championship sweep.
GRCC finished the match hitting .421, committing just six attacking errors. The six errors marked the third-lowest total the Raiders have recorded in a match this season.
The championship match also provided an opportunity for the entire roster to contribute, as all 16 Raiders saw action and all but three recorded at least one point. Freshmen Ila Antor and Breslyn Zache each recorded a career-high three kills, combining to hit over .500.
Lothschultz led all players with 15 kills while hitting an outstanding .560. Kaylee Kranz and Walker combined for another 15 kills, while Ella Thayer delivered a tremendous defensive performance, leading the Raiders with 17 digs.
Walker also paced the team with 21 assists.
SIX STRAIGHT MCCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The sixth consecutive MCCAA championship is another significant milestone for head coach Chip Will and the Raiders, who continue to establish themselves as one of the premier programs in the region.
"I'm extremely proud of this group and the way they've continued to compete and prepare for these moments," Will said. "Winning six straight MCCAA championships doesn't happen by accident. It takes a tremendous amount of commitment, hard work and belief in each other. We had contributions from everyone this weekend, and that's what makes this team special. We're playing some of our best volleyball at the right time, but we know there's still more work to do."
NEXT UP: NJCAA REGION XII TOURNAMENT
The Raiders won't have much time to celebrate, as they now turn their attention to the NJCAA Region XII Tournament, which begins Thursday.
GRCC will open regional play Thursday at 2 p.m., facing the winner of Wednesday's play-in match between North Central Michigan College and Schoolcraft College.
Should the Raiders win their opening match, they will return to the court Thursday at 6 p.m. for their second match of the day.
The Region XII Tournament represents the next step toward the Raiders' ultimate goal of qualifying for the NJCAA National Tournament.
Full tournament brackets and information are available at:
https://njcaaregion12.org/tournaments/wvballa/2026-27/index
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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.
