OVERVIEW

Overall:

• 5th place overall finish in Nation

• First national appearance as a program in 20 years (since 1996)

• GBCVB finished their season with an overall record of 19-15

• As a team, GBCVB scored the most total points against the NCCAA National Tournament Champions (MBU) during tournament play

GBCVB Accolades and Awards:

• Only team to increase in overall standings (from 8th to 5th)

• Only team to achieve an upset during pool play

• Junior, Adrianna Bunce, named All American 2nd Team

• Amy Leszinske, Ashley Bearden and Adrianna Bunce named as Scholar Athletes

Match Results:

• GBC vs. MBU [0-3]; 19-25, 21-25, 19-25

• GBC vs. Randall [0-3]; 20-25, 18-25, 18-25

• GBC vs. Bob Jones [3-2]; 11-25, 26-24, 25-21, 16-25, 15-13

DETAILS

The Tigers faced an uphill battle entering the National Tournament as the 8th place seed but without a doubt made a positive showing amidst the strongest competition in the nation. The Tigers proved why they belonged on the national scene right out of the gate.

GBC vs. Maranatha Baptist University (0-3)

During the first match against the #1 seed (and eventual 2016 National Tournament Champions) of Maranatha Baptist University, Grace led the entire first set until finally at 17-18, the Sabercats took the lead. The Tigers could not stop the aggressive hits of the Sabercat offense and conceded a 2-8 run at the end of the first set which resulted in the first set loss of 19-25.

After an initial deficit of 1-7, the Tigers clawed their way back into contention during the second set with aggressive offense and some timely blocks. With another positive run near the end of the set, Grace brought the score to 20-22. However, despite the final push against MBU the second set finished with a Tiger loss with the score of 21-25.

The third set proved to be another well fought battle on both sides of the net as points were traded back and forth. After being tied at 16-16, the Tigers dropped the third and final set with a score of 19-25.

"While the overall result was not in our favor, we are confident that our program made a significant statement and we laid a strong foundation for the entire tournament," Coach Karsten said. "We are proud of the dramatic improvement of our game play; we more than doubled our total points against MBU from our first encounter. Both teams played extremely well – it was a fun way to start the tournament."

Notable contributions against Maranatha Bible University:

Tigers tallied 30 kills, lead by Junior, Adrianna Bunce and Freshman, Kylee Maat with 9 a piece. Ashley Bearden handed out 21 assists, and the team's defense snagged 42 digs, lead by Freshman, Emma Summerfield with 11.                                   

GBC vs. Randall University (0-3)

In the second round of pool play, Grace faced the number four seed of Randall University. The Saints proved a to be a strong opponent against a visually disjointed Tiger squad. Grace dropped the match in three straight sets with scores of 20-25, 18-25, and 18-25 against the relentless defense of Randall.

"This was undoubtedly not our strongest outing," Karsten noted. "With the strength of national competition, game play needs to be sharp. This match was a tough, but important lesson for us overall in light of the importance of momentum and cohesiveness."

Notable contributions against Randall University:

Senior, Amy Leszinske carried the Tigers both offensively and defensively with 7 kills, 100% serving, 7 digs, and 4 blocks. With her smartly spread offense, Ashley Bearden recorded 20 assists on the game.

GBC vs. Bob Jones University

With a slow opening to start the first set, the Tigers faced a 2-8 deficit. Even after a timeout to re-collect, Grace continued the downward spiral and dropped the first set against the Bruins 11-25.

Grace regrouped between sets and began the second set with a different game approach. Both teams traded points early until the Tigers fell behind 9-12. The battle continued late in the game as the Bruins and Tigers became tied at 24-24. The Tigers remained composed and finished the set with back to back kills led by senior Amy Lesinske to take the second set 26-24.

Grace continued to ride the momentum and gained an early 5-1 lead in the third set. With several offensive runs throughout the set, the Tigers finished with another set win over the Bruins 25-21.

GBCVB entered set four with a 2-1 lead, however the Bruins showed true heart and would not go down without a fight. The Tigers could not hold off the Bruins in set four and were forced to set five after the 16-25 loss.

Tied with 2 set wins each, the Tigers and Bruins entered the fifth set. The Bruins caught the Tigers on their heels and built a daunting 8-1 lead over GBC. With their backs against the wall, the Tigers dug deep and began the uphill climb. Earning one point at a time, GBC clawed all the way back and tie the game 11-11. After an amazing comeback, the Tigers finished their season with a fifth set win with a score of 15-13 to claim the overall match win.

Notable contributions against Bob Jones:

The Tiger attack was lead by Junior Adrianna Bunce, with  a season high 18 kills. Kylee Maat and Amy Leszinske added 12, and 9 kills respectively. Defense was led by Freshman, Emma Summerfield with 23 digs, followed close behind by Leszinske with 18. Ashley Bearden collected an impressive 45 set assists on the match.  

NOTE FROM THE COACHES

The entire national tournament was an extremely valuable experience for our us in many ways. We've gotten a flavor of what's expected and what to be prepared for as we continue to grow our program.

Our team has become a family this season and this was exemplified both on and off the court this week. It took the contributions and commitment from every single one of our family members to get up to this point of the season.

As coaches, we could not be more proud of these athletes. They proved that they are able to complete point for point with national-caliber teams. We are already itching to earn our place at next year's National tournament.