UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team rallied for a much-needed win over Grand Valley State University Saturday at Hamilton Gymnasium.
The Cardinals allowed the Lakers to come back and take the first set 25-18, but SVSU regained momentum in the second with a 25-23 win to even the match. The Cardinals continued to roll in the third 25-21 and closed out the match with a 25-19 win in set four.
The victory moves SVSU to 10-4 overall and 2-4 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
"I thought we played with good focus and high confidence today," SVSU Head Coach Will Stanton said. "We struggled with Grand Valley's serving early, but then adjusted well after set two."
Freshman Sarah Veale had a breakout match for the Cardinals, totaling a career-high 12 kills, including four down the stretch in the fourth set for SVSU. Maria Vukaj added 10 kills and 19 digs for a double-double, while Olivia Waszak added eight kills and six total blocks.
Peyton Gerstacker with a strong match at the setter position for the Cardinals, finishing with 35 assists, 16 digs, and added five kills. Kelsey Vittitow recorded a team-high 21 digs from the Libero position.
SVSU was strong at the net with 14 total blocks as a team, including seven solo and 14 block assists.
"Our blocking came up big today and that caused them to make some errors that are uncharacteristic of that team," Stanton said.
The Cardinals play their third home match of the weekend against Davenport University at 2 pm Sunday at Hamilton Gymnasium.
