Oct. 15, 2008

Click here for GLVC-GLIAC Tournament information

Allendale, Mich. - The #6 Grand Valley State volleyball team heads to Indianapolis, Ind. this weekend (Oct. 17-18) for the inaugural GLVC-GLIAC Crossover Tournament, pitting members of the two conferences in what is believed to be the largest collegiate volleyball tournament in the country. GVSU takes on a pair of top-25 teams, as the Lakers face #24 Indianapolis and #21 Northern Kentucky on Friday and finish the weekend with a match against Bellarmine on Saturday.

Currently riding a 15-match win streak, Grand Valley State is 18-2 overall with a perfect 11-0 GLIAC mark. The Lakers have recorded five straight shutouts and have not lost a set since dropping the third set at Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 26.

GVSU's only two losses have come on neutral courts, falling to #3 Truman State on Aug. 29 and #15 Augustana on Sept. 5. Since the loss to Augustana, the Lakers have won all 15 matches, including 10 victories of the 3-0 variety.

On Friday (Oct. 17), Grand Valley State squares up with #24 Indianapolis, who enters the tournament with a 20-5 record and a 9-3 mark in the GLVC. The two teams will meet at 11:30 a.m. GVSU holds a 5-0 lead in the all-time series against the Greyhounds.

Later that night, the Lakers will face #21 Northern Kentucky, which owns a 21-3 overall record, an 11-1 GLVC tally, and winners of 12 straight matches. GVSU and the Norse are scheduled to play at 5:30 p.m. In all-time meetings, Grand Valley State holds a 19-4 edge over NKU.

Grand Valley State will close the weekend with a 1:00 p.m. match on Saturday against Bellarmine, which is 6-10 on the year, 6-6 in league play. GVSU has won six of the seven meetings in the all-time series against the Knights.

Competing against two ranked teams in one day is nothing new for the Lakers, as they faced the same situation on Sept. 6 at the Regis Premier Challenge in Denver, Colo. GVSU matched up with #21 Chico State and #19 West Florida on the same day, beating both opponents by the same 3-0 score. Grand Valley State is 3-2 against ranked opponents this season.

The tournament will be held at the Team Indiana Facility, as all GLIAC and GLVC schools will play either three or four matches during the weekend. The Team Indiana Facility will simultaneously use seven courts, as 21 matches will be played on Friday and 18 matches on Saturday. A traveling trophy will be presented to a representative from the conference that earns the most match victories in the two-day tournament.