GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University volleyball team completed a perfect weekend at the Grand Rapids Downtown Classic on Saturday, defeating Cedarville in four sets before sweeping Slippery Rock to improve to 6-2 on the season.
The Cardinals went 4-0 on the weekend after earning wins over Northwood and Seton Hill on Friday. SVSU's 6-2 record marks its best start since the 2021 team opened the season 8-0 heading into conference play.
Match 1: Cardinals 3, Yellow Jackets 1
Saginaw Valley opened Saturday with a 25-17, 14-25, 25-20, 25-19 victory over Cedarville.
The Cardinals hit .324 in the opening set, using 15 kills to take control of the match with a 25-17 win. Cedarville responded in the second, but SVSU regained the momentum in the third to take a 2-1 advantage.
Saginaw Valley closed out the match in the fourth, holding Cedarville to a .000 hitting percentage. The Cardinals finished with 10 blocks in the victory and limited the Yellow Jackets to a .130 hitting percentage for the match.
Rachel Townsend (Oxford, Mich., Oxford HS) paced the offense with 14 kills on a .357 hitting percentage while adding nine digs and two aces. Ruby Earl (Howell, Mich., Howell HS) added 11 kills, while Ava Decker (Elkhart, Ind., Elkhart HS) totaled six kills and seven blocks. Taylor Smith (Pewamo, Mich., Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools) dished out 39 assists, and Kendall White (DeWitt, Mich., St. John's HS) anchored the defense with 21 digs.
Match 2: Cardinals 3, The Rock 0
The Cardinals finished the weekend with a 25-18, 25-22, 25-9 sweep of Slippery Rock.
SVSU held Slippery Rock to a negative hitting percentage in the opening set before battling through a tighter second to take a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals then put together their best offensive set of the weekend to close the tournament. SVSU recorded 14 kills with just one error in 21 attempts, hitting .619 on the way to a dominant 25-9 third-set victory.
Townsend capped the weekend with 10 kills on a .429 hitting percentage, 13 digs and three aces. Finley Helm (Mount Pleasant, Mich., Mount Pleasant HS) added seven kills and two aces, while Marissa Roe (Chesterton, Ind., Chesterton HS) finished with seven kills on a .357 clip. Decker contributed five blocks, and Smith recorded 30 assists.
Saginaw Valley hit .228 while holding Slippery Rock to .040 for the match. The Cardinals also recorded eight service aces and six blocks.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley volleyball gets ready for GLIAC play next weekend as they head to Wayne State on Friday, September 11 before coming back for their home opener against Michigan Tech on Saturday. The matches are scheduled for 7 PM at the Matthaei Center in Detroit, Michigan and 2 PM at the Hamilton Gymnasium in University Center, Michigan.
