After a temporary break, the Grand Rapids Community College Volleyball team returned to action at the Ford Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Sept. 5, against Grace Christian University. GRCC picked up where they left off in Arizona as they defeated the Tigers in four sets, 25-22, 22-25, 26-24, 25-12.
“It was the first home game so it was a little nerve-racking, but it feels good to play in front of everyone and to do it well,” freshman middle blocker Lillian Peterson said.
To start the match, both teams tried to get comfortable as they struggled to gain a multi-point lead in the first set. Freshman outside hitter Lizzie MacIntosh scored an ace as GRCC stole the first set 25-22.
The Raiders faced adversity in the second set as multiple mishaps led the Tigers to win the set 25-22.
“Working into the nerves for the first game, it’s tough especially when you have a lot of freshmen,” Will said. “So you want to make sure you learn through those nerves, find ways to compete together when things aren’t going your way. We did a nice job throughout the match not being too hard on each other while being great teammates.”
From that point on, the Raiders slowly chipped away at the Tigers’ competitiveness, as the Raiders won the following two sets, leading to the victory. In the third set, GRCC went back-and-forth with GCU, and the set could have gone either way. GRCC narrowly won the set and headed into the fourth set with confidence.
In the final set, GRCC played their best set of the game as the Tigers were no match for the Raiders’ offensive attack. The Raiders won the set 25-12, leading them to their sixth victory of the season.
Peterson led the team in kills with a total of 17, followed by MacIntosh’s 15 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Braelyn Berry added 12 kills. MacIntosh had a team-high five aces, while Bruggema led the team with 46 assists.
GRCC improved to 6-3 on the season as they won their first conference game of the season. Continuing conference play, the Raiders host Muskegon Community College on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Ford Fieldhouse at 6:30 p.m.
The team expects the Jayhawks to be one of the toughest conference opponents they face all season.
“Muskegon is our next game, and it is going to be huge,” MacIntosh said.
