Wyoming, MI – The Grace Tigers volleyball team welcomed Maranatha Baptist University and Rochester University to the Aldrich Athletic Center Saturday for their first home tri-match of the 2020 season. 

The Tigers were familiar with the Sabercats of Maranatha, already battling in three matches thus far on the season.  The intensity was high as the two teams took the floor at 10:00 am, and though all three sets were very close fights until the end, the Tigers could not get over the hump and the Sabercats escaped with a 3-0 victory.

In the second match of the day, the Rochester Warriors upended the Sabercats 3-2.

In the late-afternoon match between the Rochester Warriors and the Grace Tigers, the Warriors started off with a quick set 1 victory.  At this point, the Tigers flipped the switched for a 25-20 set 2 victory and carried their momentum to build an 18-12 lead in the third set.  The Warriors came back to win set 3 26-24 and closed things out with a 25-20 win in set 4 to cap off the day.  All-in-all it was a great competitive match against a talented NAIA team that will benefit the Tigers in the long haul.

"Maranatha and Rochester are great competitive teams and they made us really work on our game," said Grace Head Coach Kerri Shultz. "I was really happy that we developed some grit this weekend and hope to build off of it in the coming games. We still have consistency to work on, but Coach Allyssa and I were incredibly proud with the times we did execute things we have been working on."

Junior Ashley Hoek had quite the day overall, recording 30 total kills and 17 blocks. Senior Tori Johnson had 49 assists and freshman Kenna Grant led the Tigers with 43 digs.

Grace moves to 6-5 on the 2020 season heading into a double header with Dayspring Bible College this Saturday in Lake Zurich, IL.  After five straight exhibition matches, they will return for countable competition on October 17 at Great Lakes Christian College.