By Alexandria Webb
On Nov. 8, Grand Rapids Community College became the District B Regional Champions after defeating Southwestern Michigan College in a three-set sweep. Not only did GRCC win, but they did so while hosting the 2025 Great Lakes District A & B Volleyball Tournament.
Claiming their 14th regional championship title, the Raiders are now heading to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the NJCAA Division II National Championship. The Raiders will be heading to Nationals with a 24-2 record and a 22-game winning streak. This victory did not come without some tough battles and a well-executed strategy by Coach Chip Will and the team.
Regarding the first game against Southwestern Michigan College in the tournament, Coach Will noticed the adjusted defense of the opponent. “I thought they played great defense,” Will said. “They did a really good job of keeping the balls alive. So it made us have to, you know, play one or two more rallies longer than it did the night before.”
Yet the Raiders came out with precision in hitting placement and assertiveness within their plays. Sophomore Ella Gapczynski, who plays middle, commented on their strategy for turning the hits into points.
“It’s good we can spread out our offense so that they never know because all of our hitters across the board are good. So they don’t really know what’s coming, they don’t block so it’s kind of sweet.” Gapczynski said.
Allie McGlothlen, a sophomore and right side hitter, acknowledges the importance of having an aggressive and assertive offense, “I think having an aggressive attack helps a lot. When we swing hard, no one’s defending it, and we saw that today.” McGlothlen said.
Throughout the tournament there were multiple moments where the Raiders had to really battle within these sets, sometimes resulting in minor mistakes and close point catchups.
“It was really good for us to fight through a little, you know,” Will said, “We had moments today that weren’t as clean so it put a little bit more pressure on us, but I think that’s good for us too. It’s good to play under a little bit of pressure.”
There were also situations where the Raiders had to overcome tough calls made by the refs. Will acquired a yellow card due to some comments regarding the calls. “It’s always a growing moment and it’s hard.” Will said, “ We could all learn how to move on to the next point better. In the 18 years, I still try to keep doing a better job at that.”
These challenges and calls can affect the players and how they play the game. Yet, they still decide to focus on the next point no matter the outcome of the call. Freshman Ella Thayer uses these calls as a moment to fuel the energy on the court.
“Just bouncing back and depending on the calls, just coming back stronger and using it to fuel us,” Thayer said.
McGlothlen, as a player on the court, also finds ways to deal with those tough decisions from the refs.
“What goes through my mind is to stay warm and stay motivated.” McGlothlen said, “Because the call doesn’t always go your way. So you just have to think the call is going to go either way. No matter what happens, you have to just refresh your mind, don’t think of the last play, just keep going.”
Coach Will knew that there would be some tough battles and learning moments throughout this tournament, yet despite the conflicting calls from the refs, minor mistakes, and long rallies on the court, the Raiders had one goal that surpassed all these challenges.
“Our goal from day one is to get a national championship and everything we’ve done from the lineup standpoint, putting our kids into positions, is to try to win a national championship,” Will said.
The team persevered, defeating Mott Community College in three sets on Thursday, Nov. 7. On the second day of the tournament, they faced Southwestern Michigan College, winning in three sets. This victory led them into the playoffs for the tournament, where they once again faced Southwestern Michigan College, and once again defeated them in three sets, securing the program’s 14th district title.
That is not the only exciting thing about the tournament, as multiple GRCC players had monumental honors and athletic career milestones.
Taylor Kik was named the Northern Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, All-MCCAA, and awarded All-Region honors. She celebrated her 700th career kill on Nov. 7 in the game against Southwestern Michigan College.
Freshman right side hitter and setter Vanessa Walker was also named All-Region, All-MCCAA, First Team Conference Freshman of the Year.
Sophomore middle blocker Christina Williams earned All-Region, All-MCCAA, and First Team All-Conference.
Freshman middle blocker and right side hitter Kirstyn Lothschultz earned Second Team All-Conference and Northern Conference All-Freshman Team Honors.
Head Coach Chip Will was named Conference Coach of the Year, MCCAA Coach of the Year, and District Coach of the Year.
The Raiders will travel to the Iowa National Championships with 15 conference titles, 12 MCCAA championships, and 14 regional championships. The Raiders, determined to secure their national championship, will learn and adapt to persevere.
“All these moments, good or bad, are ultimately to prepare us for one goal that we want to try to do – win a national tournament,” Will said.
