HAMMOND, Ind. - The Lake Superior State volleyball team (7-12, 2-6 GLIAC) split a pair of matches on the final day of the 2024 Midwest Regional Crossover on Saturday, falling to the Truman State Bulldogs (3-16, 1-4 GLVC) and defeating the Lake Erie Storm (5-15, 3-6 G-MAC). 

Truman State

The Bulldogs pushed ahead for an early 6-2 lead, but the Lakers responded with a 9-2 run to go in front behind a pair of kills from Valeriya Varnakova (Ufa, Russia). Truman State fought back to take an 18-17 advantage, but LSSU put together a 6-1 run to close out the set 25-21 with back-to-back service aces from Jordyn Haller (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.).

The Bulldogs managed to take control of the second set, and despite a pair of kills from Gia Waters (Minneapolis, Minn.), Truman State was able to tie up the match at 1-1.

The Lakers claimed an early 6-3 lead in the third set, but the Bulldogs managed to pull ahead. LSSU battled with multiple kills from Morgan Deming (Boyne City, Mich.) and Mariana Velasque (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), but Truman State ultimately claimed the set 25-18.

The Bulldogs were able to use multiple runs in the fourth set to pull ahead, and despite kills from Deming and Velasque, Truman State was able to close out the match 3-1.

Avery Headworth (Grand Rapids, Mich.) led her team in assists with 16, and Ally Lasley (Birch Run, Mich.) recorded 10 assists.

Lake Erie

Both teams went back and forth throughout the opening set. The Storm were eventually able to pull ahead, but the Lakers responded with a 6-1 run to lead 21-20. LSSU would then close out the set with a 4-1 run that was capped off with an ace from Haller to put her team up 1-0.

Both teams battled their way to a 9-9 stalemate in the seconds set, but then they would trade runs with the Lakers finding themselves leading 17-12 after a 4-0 scoring spurt. Lake Erie was able to fight back to keep the score close, but Waters was there to put the set away with a kill and give her team a 2-0 lead in the match.

Lake Erie managed to get on the board by taking the third set despite multiple kills from Deming. However, the Lakers responded by using runs of 9-2 and 8-2 to take control of the fourth set and close out the set and the match with respective scores of 25-17 and 3-1.

Waters and Deming each finished the match with double-digit kills with the latter doing so with a .500 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, Headworth led all players with 33 assists, and Haller led her team in digs with 10. 

The Lakers will now return home and will host the Rangers of Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday, Oct. 25 with the first serve scheduled for 5:30 p.m.