Senior Chimo Minguez and his doubles partner Jorge Ruiz faced off against FSU’s Alessandro Santangelo and Kacper Pasielak. While Minguez and Ruiz fought hard in their matches, FSU beat the pair with an end score of 8-6.

This season marks their second year as doubles partners. Last season, the two had a 13-4 record.

“We had a really good season (last year), and I’m excited to (be playing) with him again,” said Minguez.

This season, assistant men’s and women’s tennis coach Martin Martov took on the responsibilities of head coach Samantha Barr, as she is on maternity leave. Despite the coaching switch up, student assistant coach Leandro Tello feels the effect of Barr’s absence has been offset due to the work of the rest of the coaching staff.

“She’s a good coach, but we do have another assistant coach as well,” Tello said. “I think we all do a pretty good job as a team. Now, we’re trying to do new things this season, but I think we’re doing a great job.”

Prior to this match, the men’s tennis team had a 14-0 record against the Panthers. This invitational marked their fifteenth win.

The matches gave the team a chance to grow accustomed to their opponents’ playing styles and skills, and gave players a chance to get better acquainted with their doubles partners.

Minguez highlighted what he’d like to see from the team’s performance throughout the upcoming season, including his hopes for regionals.

“For regionals, (we should) see how our doubles partners work, since some of them are new this year,” Minguez. “We’d like to see how far they’d (double partners could) go in the tournament, and try to get a good draw for the singles players. (We) can send them (singles players) to the ITA Cup, which is like nationals, but for singles only.”

Although the Lakers were able to show off their talents, the team’s practices have been unlike those in the past, as women’s tennis head coach Samantha Barr is on maternity leave. In her absence, assistant coach Martin Martov has filled in the role.

“I went from a part-time position as an assistant coach to handling everything that runs the team,” said Martov. “It was a small adjustment period and there was a lot of learning on the fly, but Grand Valley’s support has been so good, with other coaches and administration helping me out.”

On the courts, senior Estefania Hernandez and freshman Kalomoria Ralli started in the doubles matches. As a duo, they went on to win both of their matches together (8-5, 8-6). Both Hernandez and Ralli competed in one singles match, and although Ralli dropped her solo outing (6-2, 6-3), Hernandez came away with a win (6-1, 6-3).

“Our team’s mentality is very good,” said Hernandez. “We have four new freshmen and I think the team did a very good job stepping up. The number one thing was to support and help each other.”

After being named second-team all-conference in doubles last season, senior Neus Ramos and junior Rachel Sam also went on to win both of their doubles matches (8-4, 8-6).

In singles, Ramos split her matches ending 1-1, going (2-6, 6-4, 10-0) in her win, and (1-6, 6-1, 11-9) in the loss. Sam, who was an all-conference honorable mention last year, went 2-0, winning both of her contests (6-0, 3-6, 10-6) and (3-6, 6-2, 10-7).

“Our team is unified and resilient,” stated Sam. “We have all decided that we need to step it up to persevere through new challenges.”

Sophomore Vale Mozes, who is coming off being named Freshman Of The Year in the conference, went 1-1 in doubles, alongside junior Anna Soteras, splitting their matches (8-3, 8-3).

Being named second-team all-conference in singles, Soteras swept her two matches (7-5, 6-1) (6-3, 6-3), while Mozes lost her first match (5-7, 6-4, 10-8), but followed with a win (6-3, 6-1).

Lastly, the freshmen duo Ipek Sakiroglu and Nadia Rodenwalk stepped up as newcomers by winning their lone doubles match 8-2, as well as each winning both of their two singles matches. Sakiroglu won her matches (6-3, 6-3) (6-4, 6-1), while Rodenwald won hers (6-2, 6-2) (6-3, 6-2).

“The players are really self-motivated, which made things easier,” said Martov. “We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, and we have only been practicing for two weeks. We were able to dial in and focus as a team against tough competition. We really stepped up and the newcomers showed they have a lot of grit.”

With more practice time and the eventual return of Barr, the Lakers only look to improve and impress in their future matches.

The Lakers’ next competition, the women’s ITA’s, will conclude Monday, Sept. 16.

Grand Valley State University’s football program welcomed their eighth head coach in program history, Scott Wooster, during an introductory press conference this past week.

Wooster served as the offensive line/tight end coach and offensive coordinator for the Lakers over three seasons prior to his promotion to head coach as he stated enthusiasm to continue the success the team has achieved in recent seasons.

“Obviously the biggest part of it was the opportunity to grow, build and serve these guys that were right out here (at this press conference) – it’s just such a special group,” Wooster said. “To be able to be the leader of this group of men, that was the most exciting part going through this week and the most honoring part.”

To continue the recap of Wooster’s hiring from Sports Editor Anthony Clark Jr., click here.

Men’s DI hockey club ices Davenport, extends win streak to seven

The Grand Valley State University’s Division I men’s hockey club continued their seven-game winning streak against Davenport University this past weekend after two blowout matches that finished 5-1 and 11-1.

Now ranked No. 10 in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men’s 1 division with a record of 22-5 (25-5 overall), Head Coach Matt Sekosan had a lot to say about his upperclassman setting the pace for the winning streak.

“We have a strong class of upperclassmen,” Sekosan said. “They sort of lead the way in terms of self-policing and getting everybody on task; the guys listen to the system that we implement, and do the best they can to play.”

To see the rest of Breanna Hammer’s recap of hockey victory, click here.

Strutz headlines Bill Clinger Classic with new record for indoor track and field

The Grand Valley State University’s men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Bill Clinger Classic last weekend. The Lakers performed at a high level, marking personal and program records.

One of the highlights from this meet was junior Lindsey Strutz’s performance, setting program record for the women’s pentathlon with a score of 3615 – a record that also ranked Strutz No. 12 in the nation for the event.

“It feels absolutely amazing to break my old school record by so much,” Strutz said.

To read Madeleine Smith’s full story of the historical performance by Strutz, click here.

Women’s lacrosse above .500 after first GLIAC victory

Grand Valley State University women’s lacrosse made the trip to Minnesota to battle Concordia St. Paul last week, winning 17-10 and adding the fifth win to the Lakers’ record just past the halfway point of the regular season (5-4).

With this being the first test in conference action, Head Coach Mackenzie Lawler said she told her players to come out with intensity from the start in order to walk away with a win.

“It’s our first conference game; I think that this game sets the tone for (more) conference play coming up,” Lawler said. “We have two other conference games this week and I think it would be great to get a win to start strong but also know that those other games are going to be competitive and those teams have gotten a lot better over the years.”

To finish reading Zoe Murphy’s coverage of the women’s lax match, click here.

Swim and dive secure GLIAC Championship titles

Grand Valley State University swim and dive secured the GLIAC Championship titles after four-straight days of competing.

With the wins, the women’s team has won its second conference title in the last three seasons (2020-21 champions) with a total score of 969.5 points. The men’s team continued its dominance in the GLIAC as it has now won nine consecutive championships after scoring 942 points, winning by nearly 400 points above second-place Northern Michigan.

Individually, both teams saw several Lakers crowned as conference champions in their events as many of them set GVSU and GLIAC conference meet records over the four-day period (Feb. 15-18).

To find the whole story written by Brian Bloom, click here.

Men’s golf wraps up fall season with another team title win

In their fourth first-place finish in the fall season, the Grand Valley State University men’s golf closed out a successful fall season with a win at the Motor City Invitational.

The Lakers found themselves in a tight match after day one, holding only a six-stroke lead over Tiffin University, with Wayne State and Ferris State not far behind. GVSU shot a 296 on day one, eight strokes above par.

Sophomore Charles DeLong led the Lakers on the individual leaderboards once more after 18 holes as he sat in second place (71, -2). Sophomore Nick Krueger (fifth) and freshman Charlie Cooley (tied-sixth) were as influential in the first round as they held a score of 73 and 74 respectively.

Being one stroke behind the first place leader after round one (Hurtubise; Wayne State), DeLong was familiar with this type of situation and used his versatility to take charge.

To read the fall season recap by Jason Millis, click here.

Emily Spitzley talks hoops, milestones and team culture for women’s basketball

Westphalia, MI is a small village roughly 55 miles east of Grand Rapids with a population of about 1,000 residents. Those who didn’t grow up in the community may not think anything more of it besides a farmers’ town. For fifth-year guard Emily Spitzley, it’s the place where the game of basketball all started.

Grand Valley State University women’s basketball would eventually be the landing spot for Spitzley after high school. Like many true freshmen joining a team, Spitzley didn’t see a lot of action on the court as she adjusted to her new environment.

Averaging just 4.8 minutes of playing time in her 24 games played in the 2018-19 season, Spitzley figured the best solution of gaining respect from her peers and herself most importantly would be to put her head down and grind.

“I came in like a nervous little kid not stepping on anybody’s toes, kind of stay in your own lane (and) do your thing,” Spitzley said. “Over the last five years, I’ve been able to find that confidence, find that voice for myself overall. And that kind of comes with getting better overall as a basketball player.”

To view Clark Jr.’s whole conversation with Spitzley, click here.

GV tennis programs compete in ITA Regional Championships

Grand Valley State University’s tennis teams participated in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) DII Midwest Regional Championships over the course of the past two weeks (Sept. 17-26), as the men’s team traveled to Indiana and the women’s hosted their tournament at home.

The women’s team experienced a significant delay in their tournament due to inclement weather and were ultimately forced to play indoors instead of outdoors as the tournament is typically played.

In the Draw A women’s doubles bracket, sophomore Estefania Hernandez and freshman Rachel Sam paired up as senior Taylor Barrett and junior Vasileia Griva partnered to face off against opponents in the round of 32.

To find Ermias Stewart’s full article, click here.

Late touchdown lifts GV football over Ferris on the road

The now 7-0 Grand Valley State University football team defeated the defending NCAA DII National Champions in Ferris State University in the annual Anchor-Bone Classic to end the regular season six-game losing streak against the opponent.

With the win, the Lakers were able to avenge two losses from the previous season and dealt the Bulldogs its first regular season loss since 2017.

“(The games left a) very bad taste in our mouth,” junior linebacker Abe Swanson said. “We went a whole season thinking about the playoff game and how much that loss hurt us, and it gave us fuel going into this one. There’s still a lot of season left, but it was so satisfying to get that win.”

To see the highlights reported by Bloom, click here.

Grand Valley State University’s tennis teams are both in the win columns after successful outings on the road against Davenport University (March 31) and at home against Purdue Northwest the following evening.

The women’s team is now 11-5 with the men’s record improving to 10-6 after snapping their five-match losing streak and shaking off a rough March schedule that featured zero wins by the men’s side.

March 31 consisted of both GVSU team’s defeating the Panthers 5-2, as the team’s beat PNW 6-1 (women’s) and 4-3 (men’s).

The women’s only loss against PNW last Saturday was the No. 2 doubles matchup for freshman Rachel Sam and sophomore Estefania Hernandez (5-7) as both players and their teammates cleaned house in the singles matchups (6-0) and wrapped up the remaining two doubles matchups in their favor (2-0).

For the men’s side, a much closer battle took place as the six singles matchups were split between the teams (3-3) with the overall match coming down to the Lakers taking two of the three doubles matchups (2-1) to take the victory.

Both teams will host Ferris State University at home April 8 starting at 5 p.m.

Track and field participate in long week of action

GVSU’s track and field program was on the road this past week as the teams split up to take on opponents in various meets, including the Texas Relays, Bobcat Invitational, the Spartan Invite and the Vert Klasse Meeting.

The first two of the four meets listed began March 30 and stretched into April 1, with the other two invites consisting of single day events on March 31 (Spartan Invite) and April 1 (Vert Klasse Meeting).

The full lists of results of the Laker performances can be located at gvsulakers.com

Women’s rugby back home next weekend

GVSU’s women’s rugby club will continue their spring campaign as they host the GVSU Classic next weekend.

The team will play Apr. 8 at Rec Field #1, with the GVSU Alumni Game a few weeks after on April 22 at the same field location.

More information relating to the club’s scheduled matches and more can be found on the club’s page at gvsu.edu/clubsports.

Softball doubleheader canceled after Midwest storm

Due to the inclement weather the Midwest region of the country experienced over the weekend, GVSU softball had their second doubleheader of the season canceled that was initially scheduled against Lewis University March 29.

Barring any other cancellations or postponements, the team is looking forward to getting back into action with a heavy slate ahead of them: a doubleheader at home against Ferris State (Apr. 3) starting at 3 p.m., on the road in a doubleheader against Davenport Apr. 7 starting at 3 p.m. and another road doubleheader against Saginaw Valley Apr. 8 with a 1 p.m. start time for the first of two games.

Prior to their second home match of the spring season on March 25, the day previous featured the women’s team playing against the Cardinals in Saginaw with the teaming sweeping doubles (3-0) and nearly completing the clean sheet on the day with a 5-1 finish in singles matchups.

As two of the four veterans on a fresh-faced roster, junior Vasileia Griva and senior Taylor Barrett (swept doubles matchup, 6-0) look to set an example for the rest of their team through their fluidity on the court.

“We have great communication and we compliment each other well,” Grvia said. “When I’m not playing great, she (Barrett) has my back and vice versa.”

Moving ahead to the next day at home, the women’s side continued to add to their win streak while the men’s continued looking for answers to get back on the winning side. Head Coach Samantha Schall said even while in the midst of a five-game skid, the men’s side is remaining confident in their ability to make a positive turnaround.

“For the women, it was a great team win,” School said. “(Wayne State was) ranked No .9 and it’s one of the best wins we’ve had in our program so far this year. For the guys, we’ve had to rebound for the past few games and we haven’t been able to. There’s a little bit of disappointment, but we had a good conversation about the things we need to improve upon.”

The women’s matches against Wayne State were much neck-and-neck as the Lakers took the doubles matchups, 2-1 and split the singles, 3-3.

In the No. 1 position for doubles, junior Vasileia Griva and senior Taylor Barrett won 7-5 followed by reshman Rachel Sam and sophomore Estefania Hernandez (No. 2) winning 6-2. For singles, Griva held her own at the No. 1 spot with a 2-1 win (6-7, 3-6, 6-1), as Barrett secured No. 2 (6-4, 6-0) and freshman Anna Soteras (6-4, 6-3) winning the No. 4 spot. 

“We did a great job overall, we never had a mindset that we would just win,” Griva said. “Everybody fought to the last point and put in the same effort. We all want to win and we do a great job adjusting to our opponent.”

Although the men’s games weren’t nearly as successful as their teammates as GVSU failed to win any of the doubles matches, a tightly contested game in the No. 2 doubles showcases the grit the team has in tough moments. Senior Jack Dausman and junior Freddy Cossio had a chance to take the win, but unfortunately would fall in a 6-7 decision. 

The singles matches did not yield much success either, as senior Ignacio Morera-Lucas would be the only Laker to take a victory on the day in the No. 6 singles spot that went down to the wire (6-2, 4-6, 10-8). 

“We need to be committed to practicing as hard as we can and have the same intensity in our matches that we do in practice,” Schall said.

While the Men’s team has dropped five-straight matches dating back to March 6, there is still time for them to contend for the 2023 GLIAC Championship and more, as the women’s side is 2-0 in conference and No. 2 in the GLIAC rankings.

“I’m just focused on winning every game, if we’re able to do that we’ll win the conference,” Griva said. “Making it to nationals is the end goal, but I think it’s better to make short term goals so that we can achieve our long term goals.”

Both teams will travel crosstown to face Davenport University on March 31 followed by another home match against Purdue Northwest Apr. 1 at 5 p.m.

After an extensive break in coverage, many Grand Valley State University sports are finishing their seasons with high and lows while shaking off the rust of lengthy offseasons.

The men’s basketball team lost in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals to Michigan Tech (69-73) led by a near double-double from junior Marius Grazulis (19 points, nine rebounds), finishing their season 18-12 overall.

Both men’s and women’s golf secured invitational victories to begin spring action as the women’s team won the Augustana Spring Fling March 9-10 (+20 over par) and the men’s securing the Buccaneer Classic March 6-7 (-15 under par). Each team will participate in separate invites March 20-21 in the UF Spring Invite (women’s) and the Ralph Hargett Invite (men’s).

Women’s lacrosse is still finding their groove as they are 2-3 in their last five appearances and dropped both of their first two home games of the season against UIndy (12-13, March 12) and Maryville (12-15, March 17).

A huge battle for a national title saw both sides of the swim and dive program finish in the top-15 of the NCAA DII National Championships; men’s (sixth place, 239 points), women’s (14th place, 109 points). Although a disappointing end to the season, the teams were able to secure the GLIAC men’s and women’s titles this season.

The baseball team was almost perfect in the RussMatt Invite (9-1) March 6-12 to open up spring ball. The team’s most recent victory was against Salem University (7-3) March 17 followed by a canceled bout against Mercyhurst the same day.

Prior to two doubleheaders being canceled against Ohio Dominican (March 17) and Cedarville University (March 18), the softball team were also on fire to begin spring action as they finished 10-2 between March 5-11. The team has two doubleheaders scheduled March 25-26 against Parkside and Purdue Northwest respectively for their home opener.

GVSU’s DI hockey club finished their season in the semifinals of the ACHA Men’s 1 2023 National Championships against the No. 4 ranked University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). The Lakers were defeated in a heartbreaking 3-4 overtime loss.

Men’s and women’s tennis have combined for a 1-7 record in a total of eight matches played (four each) between March 6-17 with the women’s team defeating St. Petersburg 4-3.

Last but not least, track and field competed in the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships with the men’s finishing in third place and the women’s sixth place overall. Both teams have started the outdoor season as the Raleigh Relays Invite is up next between March 23-25.

GVSU played the opponents in back-to-back days as Feb. 17 was dominated by both Laker teams with the men’s team finishing 4-2 and the women’s 6-1. The following day was another victory against Lewis with the women finishing 4-3 and the men 6-1 – their overall season records now standing at 4-2 and 6-1 respectively.

Against Illinois Springfield, the men’s doubles went 2-1 overall in their matchups with seniors Sean Miller and Unai Gonzalez sweeping their opponent 6-0 at the No. 1 position, senior Jack Dausman and junior Freddy Cossio won 6-4 (No. 2) as senior Martin Matov and freshman Patricio Sepulveda finished with no result.

For men’s singles, many Lakers continued to hit their stride this past weekend: Dausman won in three sets (2-1) for No. 3 singles with Matov and Sepulveda winning their matchups in two sets (No. 4 and 5 positions respectively). To wrap up the day for the men’s, senior Sebastian Arce (1-2) and Miller (0-2) lost their matchups at the No. 1 and 2 positions respectively while sophomore Ignasi Garros finished with no result.

Martov commented on how this match presented new challenges as far as the late start time due to the fact that they usually always have early morning practices, forcing the Lakers to persevere and amplify their energy.

“The circumstances of the match today were difficult,” Martov said. “A very short warm-up combined with a rushed dinner meant the experienced players of our team really had to step up and adapt. They were a solid team who came out hot, but we as a whole responded well by putting the heat right back on them.”

On the women’s side of things against Illinois Springfield, the team was just one singles and doubles matchup away from finishing the match undefeated.

Senior Taylor Barrett and junior Vasileia Griva won their doubles match 6-1, with sophomore Estefania Hernandez and freshman Rachel Sam winning 6-4 and junior Sophia Hanover and freshman Amanda Diaz losing their matchup 1-6.

For singles, Hernandez would be the only Laker unable to win her individual matchup that went to a three-set decision (1-2) while the remaining five Lakers finished in two sets; Griva 2-0 (No. 1 position), Barrett 2-0 (No. 2), Sam 2-0 (No. 3), Diaz 2-0 (No. 5) and freshman Leonie Leister 2-0 (No. 6). 

The following day was against Lewis with both sides able to pull out a victory.

Griva and Barrett led doubles with a nail-biter matchup that finished 7-6 as Hanover and Diaz rebounded and took the win this time around, 6-2. However, Sam and Hernandez would drop their doubles matchup 3-6.

To finish, three of the six singles matches were secured by the Lakers; Griva (2-1), Barrett (1-2), Sam (1-2), freshman Anna Soteras (2-0), Hernandez (2-0) and Diaz (0-2).

On the men’s side, the team was one game away from a clean sheet but all matchups were won by the Lakers.

Gonzalez and Miller finished 6-2 in doubles as they were followed by Dausman and Cossio (6-4) and Arce and Sepulveda (6-3). 

The singles matchups were also swept by GVSU: Gonzalez finishing 2-1 while Arce, Miller, Matov, freshman Denys Zamaraiev and senior Ignacio Morera-Lucas all won 2-0.

“The main takeaway from this weekend is to enjoy the present moment and to play with trust in ourselves,” Matov said. “We’ve got a lot of seniors on this team and to get caught up in the nerves and letting them takeover does nothing to help us. We need to embrace it and enjoy these last opportunities we get.”

Both teams are riding a four-match win streak as they will be on the road again this upcoming weekend against Northwood University (Feb. 24) followed by a home match against Hillsdale College on Feb. 25 at 5 p.m.

Both the Grand Valley State University men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted Michigan Tech and the Northern Michigan Wildcats in a successful week of games.

Feb. 9 saw victories for both sides as the women’s team took a dominating 60-43 win led by redshirt freshman guard Paige Vanstee (13 points, six rebounds) followed by redshirt sophomore guard Ellie Droste with 10 points – season series 1-1.

The men’s team also defeated the Huskies in a tight battle (79-74) to close the season series 2-0 with junior forward Marius Grazulis dropping a near double-double (17 points, nine rebounds).

GVSU also defeated the Wildcats 64-52 (women’s) and 81-75 (men’s) Feb. 11 with Vanstee (11 points) and Grazulis (24 points, seven rebounds) leading their teams once again.

GV tennis takes down Walsh

In a bounce-back meeting after their disappointing start to the spring season, the GVSU tennis teams both defeated the Cavaliers 6-1 each.

For doubles matches, five of six pairs finished with victories.

Women’s: senior Taylor Barrett and junior Vasileia Griva (6-2), freshman Rachel Sam and sophomore Estefania Hernandez (6-4) and freshmen Amanda Diaz and Anna Soteras (6-4).

Men’s: seniors Unai Gonzalez and Sean Miller (6-2), senior Jack Dusman and Freddy Cossio (6-4) and freshman Patricio Sepulveda and senior Martin Matov (4-6 loss).

For single’s action, all athletes besides Matov and junior Sophia Hanover won their matchups.

Lakers continue setting the tone during track and field Big Meet

GVSU hosted a two-day meet last weekend that led to personal bests and national records. 

Junior Myles Kerner made history for the men’s shot put as his distance of 19.57m not only broke the GVSU record, but the Big Meet and Kelly Family Sports Center records as well. This mark also placed Kerner on the national list for the category.

The men’s side also saw a first-place finish in the 4×400 relay event as freshman Fallou Gaye, graduate student Jackson Blanchard, freshman Ben Ireland and junior Miles Rhodes (3:13.61) received an NCAA DII provisional mark with their victory.

For the women’s events, junior Natalie Graber (9:22.48) dominated the women’s 3000m run and was placed No. 1 on the Women’s National List for first-place victory in the event as she was followed by her teammate, freshman Lauren Kiley, who finished second (9:30.46) and was ranked No. 3 on the list.

Junior Klaudia O’Malley, freshman Kate Zang, sophomore Taryn Chapko and Graber hit the trifecta record for the program, Kelly Family and the Big Meet for the women’s 4000m distance medley relay (DMR) with a time of 11:18.68.

With these losses, the women’s team is now 0-2 while the men’s suffered their first loss, bringing their record to 2-1 so far this season.

Falling short of a conference title last year, GVSU worked hard to expand their skills during the offseason. Head Coach Samantha Schall said the team’s biggest focal point is having the mental and emotional endurance to stay on the right track during the season.

“We have been focusing a lot on mental toughness,” Schall said. “Today was a big challenge for both teams, so we needed to be ready with a strong mindset.”

For the men’s singles, all six players lost in two games. Senior Sebastian Arce would play the No. 1 spot for the Lakers as he fell to his opponent 1-6 and 0-6, senior Unai Gonzalez had a close 3-6 and 4-6 loss at No. 2 and senior Sean Miller lost 2-6 in both games at No. 3.

Senior Martin Matov came close with a 6-7 and 4-6 loss at No. 4, while freshman Patricio Sepulveda (3-6 and 1-6) and senior Ignacio Morera-Lucas (1-6 apiece) lost their No. 5 and No. 6 singles matchups respectively.

Similar outcomes would result in the men’s team losing all three doubles matchups with Miller and Gonzalez losing 2-6 at No. 1 doubles, junior Freddy Cossio and senior Jack Dausman (No. 2) falling 3-6 and Arce and Sepulveda coming close in a 5-7 loss at No. 3.

Schall also said even with the tough losses like the ones against UIndy, there are many things to look forward to for the upcoming season. 

“We have a lot of potential, and that makes for a high level of motivation within the players,” Schall said. “I am excited to see what we can achieve.

On the women’s side, there were also some close matches between the Lakers and Greyhounds.

At No. 1 doubles, junior Vasileia Griva and senior Taylor Barrett lost a close 4-6 decision as freshmen Leonie Leister and Rachel Sam would be the only winners for Laker doubles with a 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot. 

However, freshmen Anna Sotreas and Amanda Diaz would lose the No. 3 doubles matchup after a close first game that finished 6-7, and then a 0-6 loss to finish the match.

Sam also went on to claim a 6-3, 7-6, straight-set win at No. 3 singles, with Schall mentioning the win was a huge boost for individual confidence and team morale.

Sam said she thought her hard work in the off season was beneficial to how she played in her matches Feb. 4.

“I’ve been able to work a lot on my forest serve percentage, as well as trying to build a stronger mentality during matches,” Sam said. “Tennis matches are long and tiring. I want to be able to feel good and focused through the entire match and increasing my first serve percentage is a way for me to gain confidence to perform well.”

The rest of the singles matches finished with Griva at the No. 1 spot (2-6 and 4-6 loss), Barrett at No. 2 (1-6, 3-6 loss), Soteras at No. 4 (6-7, 0-6 loss), Diaz at No. 5 (0-6, 4-6 loss) and freshman Ana Romero Gonzalez at the No. 6 position with a 1-6 and 2-6 match loss.

With the tougher start to the spring season in the rear view, there is a lot to look forward to as Sam spoke very highly of her confidence in the team.

“We are ready for this season, we are ready to represent GVSU, and we are ready to represent the sport of tennis and how it should be,” Sam said.

The Lakers will host two home matches against Walsh University and the University of Findlay during Feb. 10-12 with start times of 12 p.m. and 10 a.m. respectively.

Gallery • 24 Photos

GVL / Macayla Cramer

The Grand Valley State University women’s basketball team defeated Purdue Northwest (88-47) and Wisconsin-Parkside (75-57), improving their record to 19-2 overall.

Both matchups were the second meetings against both opponents this season, resulting in the Lakers sweeping each series 2-0. 

GVSU’s first meeting against PNW on Jan. 7 was decided by just eight points (62-54), but their second meeting (Jan. 26) improved dramatically as the team shot 53.3% from the field and held PNW to just 11 made field goals (11-43) to blow their opponent out of the arena.

Senior guard Emily Spitzley (15), redshirt sophomore Rylie Bisballe (14) and sophomore guard Abrie Cabana (10) led their team in point production as the bench unit was a huge contributor to the win with 54 points.

The second game of this past week, on Jan. 28, saw the Lakers overcome a slow start in the first half as the team was only able to convert eight of their 34 shot attempts (23% FG) and trailed 23-25 at the break.

However, an explosive 52-32 scoring run in the second half would stun the Rangers and create enough of a cushion to take the win at home.

Redshirt freshman guard Nicole Kamin led the team with her career high in points (20), followed by 13 points each from Spitzley, Bisballe and redshirt sophomore guard Hadley Miller.

The Lakers are now 10-1 in GLIAC action as they maintain their No. 1 rank in the conference with just one game on the road this week against Davenport, on Feb. 4.

GV tennis preparing for UIndy in first match of 2023

GVSU’s men’s and women’s tennis teams are less than a week away from the beginning of their 2022-23 spring campaigns.

The men’s team hasn’t won a meeting against UIndy since 2011 with a losing streak of six-straight meetings (5-7 overall), while the women’s side face five-straight losses themselves (8-6 overall) as their last win was during their 2012 season.

Both teams will host the Greyhounds at home on Feb. 4 starting at 12 p.m.

115 Laker student-athletes receive academic honors through fall sports

In a typifying moment of GVSU athletics, 115 total student-athletes were recognized for their hard work in their sport and in the classroom to be just one of two schools in the GLIAC to reach over 100 honors.

Women’s volleyball, cross country, men’s football and women’s soccer were all recognized as a combined 73 Lakers were named to the All-Academics teams and 42 Lakers named to Academic Excellence teams. The full list of Lakers that received academic honors can be found at gvsulakers.com/archives.