The Tigers started out strong in the first match of the night against the Lions of Finlandia taking a 7-2 lead in the first set. However, Finlandia would answer back with a streak of their own shortly after. Grace took serving possession trailing the Lions with a score of 14-15, but with a stretch of steady serving from Amy Leszinske and solid Tiger defense, GBC pulled ahead 22-17. Grace would go on to wrap the first set victory 25-19.

At the end of the second set, the Lions topped the Tigers 17-25. Set three was an intense match up as GBC set the initial pace. Tied at 7-7, both teams traded the lead and game momentum back and forth, neither scoring more than two points in a row until the match was again tied at 21-21. Outside hitter Adrianna Bunce went down late in the set with an ankle injury after being tangled up by heavy foot traffic of opposing players under the net. 

While the Tigers took possession and the lead, points continued to alternate down the home stretch. In the end, the Lions snagged the win outscoring Grace 23-25. Despite the defensive effort by the Tigers, the fourth and final set (and overall match) was also earned by Finlandia 18-25.

"We learned a valuable lesson in the importance of staying aggressive through an entire match," Assistant Coach Emily Brown commented on the fact that, collectively, the Tigers went from earning 10 kills in the first set to 6, 4, and only 2 in the following sets. "We lost some of our fire and fell into an offensive pattern of timidity. As a team, we will work hard to not repeat that pattern again."

Defensively however, GBCVB put up an impressive 65 digs and 8 blocks led by Anna Veldink (29 digs) and Allyssa Thompson (3 blocks). 
Heading into the second match at 9:15pm (Eastern) after a hard-fought, high-energy first match, GBCVB found their grit and determination to dig in for the long haul against the Blue Angels of host school Mount Mary University.

Wins were exchanged back and forth for the first four sets of the competition with scores of 20-25, 25-22, 23-25 and 25-19.  Grace put up an offensive show collecting 38 kills in the first four sets and for the first time of the 2015 season, the Tigers went into a tie-breaking fifth set.

The Tigers had more than their work cut out for them as the Lions took a commanding early lead forcing Grace to work out of a 1-8 deficit. GBC exemplified teamwork and tenacity as they chipped away at the Lions lead point by point. Tied at 12-12, points continued to be earned one or two at a time coming into the home stretch. With the Tigers down 15-16, Ka Bao Xiong had a match-saving dig to keep GBC in the running. Amy Leszinske took over the serve for Grace at 16-16 and thanks to a well-executed kill from Marlae Sloothaak and the precise blocking of Meagan Pifer and Robin Gould, the Tigers earned the next two points, taking set 5 and the overall match.

Grace outscored the Blue Angels 111-107. Tiger offense was led by Leszinske, Allyssa Thompson and Sloothaak with 15, 11 and 9 kills respectively. Sloothaak led the team in attack percentage (.167) as she put away 9 of her 30 attempts. Defensively, Anna Veldink led in digs with 43 of the team total 87. Setter Abby Schultz collected 58 set assists in the night's matches. Along with her assist count, her hustle and communication on the floor earned her the game ball for the night.

"We are proud of how the team bounced back and pulled together later in the night when energy can waver," Coach Becky Karsten said. "This win is a testament to what can happen when teammates show trust and confidence in each other. In our last huddle, veteran players reminded the team to 'leave it all on the floor'. We all took that message to heart and earned one of our most exciting wins of the season."

Tigers conclude with a winning record of 14-13 during regular season play. Regionals are hosted by GBC next weekend 10/30 and 10/31. The Tigers take the floor for the opening match against the Archers of Moody Bible College at 4:00pm eastern on Friday.