Permanent link for GVSU Men's Club Volleyball Wins the 2023 Chip Classic on November 28, 2023

On November 18th, 2023, The GVSU Men's Club Volleyball team traveled to Central Michigan University to participate in the Chip Classic. Both A and B teams competed in this tournament, both playing exceptionally great.

A team: Took home the 2023 Chip Classic Championship with a win over CMU's A team 2-0.

B team: Made it to Gold Bracket after a great round of pool play, losing a hard fought match to the runner up, CMU A team in the first round.

With B teams loss, A team had their teams back and defeated CMU's A team to win it all.

We got to ask some of the players some questions, which you can check out down below!

How did you mentally and physically prepare for the tournament?

"We mentally and physically prepared for the tournament by being consistent in practices and communicating with our coaches. It is very easy to get comfortable in practice, doing the same thing, the same routines, the same drills. Our coaches have been a vital part in asking us what we want to work on, watching our film, coming to practice prepared with different plans that help incorporate a number of skills. I think this structure has led us to improving our game immensely as well as allowing us to be comfortable in chaos. There were chaotic moments throughout the tournament but we were prepared which helped us win the tournament." - Paden Rousseau

How did you work with your team to win the tournament?

"We just made sure to communicate throughout the tournament verbally on and off the court during timeouts, between and between games. We were prepared for everything and communicating that showed." - Jacob Fiandalo

What were your guys' best strengths in the tournament?

"Our best strengths this tournament had to be our team chemistry and our ability to rally with each other. As most of our team are returners, we've had a lot of experience playing together. Our three freshman this year have also been able to fit in perfectly with the team dynamic. When any of us made a big play the rest of the team was there celebrating the moment, and when we weren't playing well our teammates were there to pick our heads up and get us back in the game. We were able to string together great runs during the games and keep positive attitudes which let us win the tournament." - Mack Tyrell

Any thoughts on your performance specifically?

"We all played well. Our hitters put balls away, blockers blocked, there was good defense, just overall a solid day. Not really any moments of worry and if there was, we cleaned it up pretty quick. Our serve receive was for the most part consistent and cover defense helped us get points off the second opportunity." - Easton Upton

What do you look forward to after the conclusion of the Chip Classic?

"After the conclusion of the Chip Classic, I look forward to growing and touching on the little things. We are not too busy the rest of the second semester in terms of tournaments and games, which gives us a lot of time to work on small things. This includes things like hitter setter connections, passing technique, and repetitive style drills. It is oftentimes something we don't get time to work on when the season schedule is busy, but it helps immensely. We also have some time off for Thanksgiving as well as opportunities to do team bonding events. I think it is important to go into the second semester rested and in good mental health too. Second semester gets busy and it is when our conference play starts. We have more tournaments and games and i think winning the Chip Classic and going into a more laid back period gives us more incentive to work harder and want to win more." - Paden Rousseau

It sounds like the men are very excited to get back to work after the Chip Classic Championship win and look forward to improving along the way. The team has done a great job this season, winning their games and staying active within the GVSU community. If you would like any more information about the Men's Club Volleyball team, visit their Instagram page (@gvmensvb) or contact GVSU Club Sports through our Instagram as well (@gvsuclubsports).

Posted on Permanent link for GVSU Men's Club Volleyball Wins the 2023 Chip Classic on November 28, 2023.

Permanent link for Women's Club Soccer Finishes Regionals and Looks Forward to Nationals on November 8, 2023

On the weekend of October 28-29th, the GVSU Women's Club Soccer team traveled to Lansing, Michigan to play in the Regionals Tournament. The women drew against Wisconsin 0-0 and drew against Purdue 1-1. Pool play ended up being draws all across the board as Purdue and Wisconsin drew 2-2. Because of this, semi-final advancement was determined by goal differential. Purdue scored the most goals in the pool, therefore they moved onto the semi-finals on the weekend.

Though the Lakers didn't finish as they wanted, their hard fought effort did not go unnoticed from coaches and fans!

The women's team coming off of a strong effort now look forward to Nationals. The team will fly out to Round Rock, Texas on November 15th and will hold one practice that night to get acquainted with the fields. The schedule of their games has not been released yet, but pool play is always 2 games on Thursday, November 16th, one being early in the morning and one in the afternoon. Then, the team will play one game on Friday, November 17th. These are guaranteed games to play in. If the women win their pool, whether that be by winning all 3 games, goal differential, etc., they move onto the knockout stages where they will have another game that Friday. They will continue to have games through Sunday unless they lose before then.

We got to ask some of the women questions regarding their performance at Regionals and looking forward to traveling to Nationals.

What did you think about your performance at regionals?

"I think it was better than previous years but still not adequate to win. We have been struggling to execute goals and therefore we ended with two ties one being scoreless. We have the talent but we just need to play our skill level. Not moving on based on goal differential is a big bummer." - McKenna Chestolowski, Senior, Center Mid/Forward

What are some things you know you need to work on after regionals?

"After regionals, we were disappointed not moving on further, but it gave us an opportunity to reflect and discuss what we need to improve on to get the results we want.  First, we weren't as successful building out of the back to the final third so in our practices on November 1st and 2nd our assistant coach, Alex Pastor had us running drills focused on that.  Second, our first touches were lackluster and led to constant turnaways to our opponent, so getting that technique down has been vital for us. Finally, executing in the final third and putting our shots on frame was another thing we knew we needed to work on because the better team doesn't always win, it simply is the team that scores more goals." - Nicole Miller, Junior, Center Mid

What are you guys doing as a team to prepare for nationals?

"We are preparing for nationals by conditioning lots, continuing to advance our team chemistry, and creating good offensive opportunities." - Liberty Bleicher, Senior, Center Back

What are you most looking forward to as nationals approaches?

"We are most looking forward to playing against competitive teams and showcasing our skills and talent in the national tournament." - Sophie Stevens, Junior, Forward

What is an attribute that sets this team apart from the others?

"Something that sets our team apart is our diverse personalities and the way we harmonize on and off the field. We are a family with a shared passion. We push each other to be our best, but we also know how to celebrate our victories, no matter how small, and provide support when things don’t go as planned. We also genuinely have fun together and enjoy each other’s company." - Clara North, Senior, Center Mid

Categories: Women's Soccer
Posted on Permanent link for Women's Club Soccer Finishes Regionals and Looks Forward to Nationals on November 8, 2023.

Permanent link for Men's Club Rugby Looking Forward to Playoffs on November 6, 2023

On Saturday, November 11th, the GVSU Men's Rugby Club will be hosting the play-in game that would see them advance to the round of 16 in the NCR D2 playoffs in Knoxville, Tennessee on the 17th. Their opponent on Saturday will be the loser of the Allegheny conference championship, which will either be #3 ranked IUP or #20 Miami of Ohio, who beat the GVSU Men's Rugby Club in the playoffs last season.

The team is excited for the opportunity to compete at a national level and has been preparing all season for this moment. They have been battle tested with a tough 9 game schedule in the regular season with tough matches against D1 opponents like Purdue, Notre Dame, and Trine. Additionally, they swept the great lakes conference for the second year in a row, securing back-to-back conference titles. It's time to be excited about rugby at GVSU. The team can't wait for everyone to pack the stands at recreation outdoor field 1 for the home playoff match!

We got some players to share some of their thoughts as well.

Reinhardt Stipp: "We're not just chasing victory; we're forging a legacy of determination and teamwork - this is where champions are made".

Josiah Purdue: "I'm just excited to have the opportunity to get a potential rematch against Miami Ohio who knocked us out last year".

Joshua Jehnkins: "I hate losing more than I love to win". 

Categories: Rugby
Posted on Permanent link for Men's Club Rugby Looking Forward to Playoffs on November 6, 2023.

Permanent link for GVSU's Club PomPon Team Earns 2023 Collegiate High Kick Runner Up on November 6, 2023

On Sunday, November 5th, the GVSU Club PomPon team finished the MAPP Hip Hop and High Kick Championships in 2nd place for the first time 10 years!

The PomPon team stated that "our Poison Ivy routine challenged us physically, creatively, and mentally, but we could not be more thrilled with how it turned out. We would like to give a special shoutout to Coach Kikki for coming back to help us create and refine this routine. We truly could not have accomplished this without you, and we are so thankful for all of your help!"

Congratulations to the PomPon team!

Categories: PomPon
Posted on Permanent link for GVSU's Club PomPon Team Earns 2023 Collegiate High Kick Runner Up on November 6, 2023.

Permanent link for GVSU Equestrian Hunt Club Cedar Lodge Results on October 23, 2023

The GVSU Equestrian Hunt Club participated in a competition at Cedar Lodge over the weekend from October 21st - 22nd.

Results are listed below:

Kalamazoo College Day One

Elena Tabacaru 4th and 6th Open Equitation
Averi Malec 1st Intermediate Equitation
Kailey Turchan 1st and 4th Limit Equitation
Megan Gasparaitis 4th Limit Equitation
Elise Bowlby 1st and 2nd Limit Equitation; Reserve High Point Rider
Katelyn Piesko 5th Limit Equitation
Kiera Schultz 6th Limit Equitation
Emily Robinson 6th Limit Equitation
Savanna Barone 3rd Novice Equitation
Lola Smith 6th Novice Equitation
Kendal Hill 3rd Novice Equitation
Abby Tichelaar 2nd Pre-Novice Equitation
Kyla Ozinga 4th Pre-Novice Equitation

Kalamazoo College Day Two

Elena Tabacaru 1st and 6th Open Equitation
Kailey Turchan 4th Limit Equitation
Megan Gasparaits 4th Limit Equitation
Elise Bowlby 3rd and 1st Limit Equitation
Kiera Schultz 4th Limit Equitation
Katelyn Piesko 5th Limit Equitation
Kendall Hill 4th Novice Equitation
Lola Smith 3rd Novice Equitation
Savanna Barone 6th Novice Equitation
Olivia Szewczyk 3rd Novice Equitation
Eloise Jackson 5th Pre-Novice Equitation
Kyla Ozinga 1st Pre-Novice Equitation
Abby Tichelaar 1st Pre-Novice Equitation
Reserve High Point Team for the Day

Posted on Permanent link for GVSU Equestrian Hunt Club Cedar Lodge Results on October 23, 2023.

Permanent link for GVSU Women's Club Lacrosse Team Finishes 2nd at Nationals!! on June 23, 2023

The GV Women's Club LAX team had one of their best seasons in school history, finishing in 2nd place at the national tournament in Texas. They also had a astonishing overtime win over Binghamton to get into the finals. 

GVSU was the first WCLL division 2 team to advance to the championship game in the history of the tournament. They were undefeated until the championship game as well. What an incredible run for the GV Club LAX women! On top of their team achievements there were also many individual achievements earned this season. They are listed below:

2023 All-Academic                                   2023 1st-Team All-American                                 2023 2nd-Tean All-American

Kate Boyajian                                             Shannon Stubbs- Attack                                           Allison Romanski- Attack

Ashley Brush                                               Alison Polakowski- Midfield

Maddie Buschman                                     Kate Boyajian- Midfield

Nadia Gniatczyk                                         Ashleigh Hoag- Defense

Ashleigh Hoag

Danielle Laycock

Alison Polakowski

Abby Polakowski

Dacey Redman

Allison Romanski

Lauren Spencer

Shannon Stubbs

Jacquelin Veldink 

Posted on Permanent link for GVSU Women's Club Lacrosse Team Finishes 2nd at Nationals!! on June 23, 2023.

Permanent link for The GVSU Rowing team competed in the Devils Lake Invitational this weekend! on April 10, 2023

On Saturday the rowing team went to the Devils Lake Invitational hosted by the Adrian Rowing team, below are some results.

• Women’s V8+ - 1st
• Women’s V4+ - 1st
• Mens N4+ - 1st
• Women’s 2V4+ - 2nd
• Mens V4+ - 2nd
• Mens N8+ - 2nd in JV category 
• Mens V8+ - 3rd
• Women’s N8+ - 3rd in varsity category 

Categories: Rowing
Posted on Permanent link for The GVSU Rowing team competed in the Devils Lake Invitational this weekend! on April 10, 2023.

Permanent link for GVSU Swim Club Competes at the CCS National Championship on April 5, 2023

Four members of the GVSU Swim Club represented GV at the 2023 College Club Swimming National Championship meet this past weekend (3/31-4/1) held at Ohio State University. Jay Patterson broke the team record in the 50 Freestyle (22.23) and in the 50 Butterfly (24.21). Dom Ferracciolo also broke team records in all 3 of his events, 50 Breaststroke (28.39), 100 Breaststroke (1:01.30), and 200 Breaststroke (2:12.65). Rachel Patterson broke the Women’s 50 backstroke team record with 30.27. Freshman Molly Smith swam the 50 Breaststroke in 35.63. The four also competed in the Mixed 200 freestyle relay, placing 55th with a time of 1:38.99, an improvement from their 61st overall seed time. This meet concludes our 2022-2023 competition season and we can’t wait to return to the pool next semester!

Categories: Swim
Posted on Permanent link for GVSU Swim Club Competes at the CCS National Championship on April 5, 2023.

Permanent link for Rowing Club Takes on Georgia Over Spring Break - Day 3 - 3/7/23 on March 14, 2023

Day three (Tuesday, March 7th) 

Josie Heintz 

Tuesday morning was busy for the GVSU Rowing team. We had breakfast around 7:30 and left the hotel at 8:20 for practice! 

When we got to the course this morning the varsity women worked on catches in 8s. One boat was in the Schintz and the other was testing a new Vespoli! It was very smooth and very exciting to row in. Especially as a cox because the steering was great! We did some steady-state rowing and backing drills to get back in the swing of things. We took a 30-minute break and then went out for part two! We did more steady state and pause drills. The weather was so beautiful until the wind gusts picked up. Even so, it was still a great practice. 

Afterward, we were set free to explore Georgia on our own. I decided to go on a hike at Amicalola Falls state park. The hike was only two miles but the 200+ stairs had us hurting! It was so much fun, and the views were beautiful. We saw great mountains and Georgia’s biggest waterfall! 

After the hike, we went back to the hotel and had a great dinner. Thank you, Lisa Harding, for helping us with dinner! Then, for those who weren't too beat from the hike, we spent some time at the mall looking for Georgia merchandise. Sadly, none could be found. Tuesday was a super long day and I ended it by hanging out with my roommates Fiona, Emilia, and Andrea! This is one of the best spring breaks I’ve had on the team and I'm so glad to spend my last one with such a fantastic team. 

Andrew Cavrell 

Today was a pretty interesting day simply because our schedule was flipped on its head. Instead of having two practices over the course of the day we took the opportunity to run two practices in the morning and leave the afternoon for several options of activities. Immediately following practice there was an incredibly scenic hike to visit “Georgia’s largest waterfall”. It was a nice hike that was not super challenging. But it did have some incredible scenery. 

Besides that, dinner was a wonderful assortment of breakfast items crafted by the wonderful Mrs. Harding. We were able to eat a family recipe (a family staple according to Coach Troy) of Baked French Toast as well as bagels and spiral cut ham. It was all a very nice meal that left everybody wanting more. 

Following dinner, the novice men were treated to a trip to the Local TopGolf establishment by Coach Trevor, which all of them were super stoked for. All in all it was a very pleasant day with wonderful weather and plenty of sun for all of us to share. 

Fiona Patrick 

Today was day 3 of practice and it was a whopping 80 degrees. In the morning the novices quickly rigged the Ring and Zelenka. We did drills with the four switching between stern, bow, and all fours. We worked on having even handle heights and trying not to rush. It was really rough in the beginning, but by the end of morning practice, we were starting to get our stuff together. 

After getting a few snacks in our stomachs we took out the 8+ instead of taking out pairs because it was super windy. We rowed the Alex and started off by doing pausing drills and practiced setting the boat with all eight. We ended practice by having to try to re-dock the boat about seven different times until finally coach Troy and McKenzie pulled us in. Coach Troy’s input for the day was, “It’s really windy out here.” 

After practice, most of the team headed to the East Ridge Spring Trail for a hike that was a never-ending stair master. Once we got to the top of the trail and caught our breaths, we dipped our toes in the creek and looked out at the waterfall. Then I went to the mall of Georgia with my hotel roomies and a couple of other rowers in search of merch and sadly found nothing. 

Ryan Morren 

Today I got up and got some breakfast at 7:00 so we could leave at 8:20. At practice we worked on improving our catches. We did a drill at half-slide for high rates to help us get our catches faster. Our drills were mostly done with 4’s and 6’s, but towards the end we went down the 2k course by all 8 at an 18-stroke rate, with race pace for 10 strokes every 500m. The sunlight was quite intense today so many of our guys got sunburned. After our three hours of practice, the novice men and a few of the varsity men rode together to get some lunch at Zaxby's along the way to our hike. We hiked up the mountain and walked in the creek for a few hours, enjoying the outdoors and taking pictures. Then we went back to the hotel where Mrs. Harding had some very tasty French toast paired with bagels, ham, and fruit, waiting for us. After lunch, Coach Trevor took us novice men to TopGolf and we played a game trying to hit targets for points. I proceeded to score a whopping 13 points in an hour because I have never golfed in my life. Even though I couldn’t beat Coach Trevor’s 70+ points, I did hit my golf balls faster (125mph) than him. We had some good laughs on the way back, and now we get to crash at the hotel and prepare for tomorrow!

Categories: Rowing
Posted on Permanent link for Rowing Club Takes on Georgia Over Spring Break - Day 3 - 3/7/23 on March 14, 2023.

Permanent link for Rowing Club Takes on Georgia Over Spring Break - Day 2 - 3/6/23 on March 14, 2023

Day two (Monday, March 6th) 

Brendan Butterfield 

Hi, I’m Butters, and I'm excited to share my experience with Grand Valley's rowing team during our spring break training trip. This is the second spring break trip I’ve been on with the team, and I’ve been looking forward to it for a while now! 

Our first two days were intense and a bit hot, with practices twice a day, but it was worth it as it’s a nice change from Michigan’s weather. This morning we started with a yummy breakfast at our hotel, getting ready for our morning practice on Lake Lanier. After a nice land warmup, we headed towards the water for some drills and technique work. As a coxswain for the eight, I spent some time in the launch recording our performance to analyze later. After practice we headed back to the hotel where we ate a delicious lunch made by Coach Troy's mom (shoutout to the real MVP). Then some of us headed to the store for some downtime before our afternoon practice. At practice we got to test out a demo boat from Vespoli, which was a pleasant change from our usual Hudson eights. We did some high-intensity pieces with resistance, getting faster each time, before heading back to the hotel for dinner, which was prepared again by Lisa Harding. 

Overall, it's been a great start to our spring break training, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week has in store for us. These trips are always challenging, but they're also incredibly rewarding. I'm grateful for the opportunity as the trip gives us a chance to fix all the issues with our stroke before getting back on the cold water back home. 

Kayla Pendley 

This morning we left the hotel around 8:30 to go to the lake for morning practice. I rowed in one of the varsity women’s 8+ boats where we got to test out a new Vespoli 8+. We worked on our catches and focused on getting a good backsplash while rowing by sixes at a 12-16 stroke rate for the first half of practice. Then for the second half of practice, we focused on the same thing but rowed by all 8 at an 18-22 stroke rate. Each practice we’ve been seeing a lot of improvement while we knock off some rust from winter training. It makes me very excited for the upcoming season. After practice, we had lunch at the hotel, and I went to Dunkin with a group of the varsity women. Then I watched Tiktoks until afternoon practice. At practice, we did AT work at a 24-28 stroke rate. After practice, I had chicken and mac and cheese for dinner at the hotel. After dinner, I went to get ice cream with some teammates! 

Stephen Warner 

This morning it was hard to get myself out of bed but eventually, I got up and got myself a nice waffle and sausages to fuel myself for practice. The novice men gathered after breakfast for a quick meeting with coach Trevor and discussed issues with our technique that we could focus on. After that and a little 

bit of downtime, we went off to practice. I got to ride with Elliot, our esteemed vice president for the first of many trips today, and I have to say it was a fun ride. At our morning practice, we went out in the Stoll and did a lot of work on our timing. Our first drill was a pause slap, where we would stop at the ½ slide, ¾ slide and then let our oars slap the water at the catch. Rotating between bow and stern 4, we spent a lot of time on that and continuous rowing by 6s . Near the end of practice, however, we started to row by 8 and worked up towards race speed. While it is valuable to spend time rowing as an eight, it wasn't in my favor being that my feet don’t fit in 2 seat’s shoes in the Stoll. This made it even more difficult for me when we got to higher rates but by sheer luck, I was somehow able to stay in. Our second practice was 3 hours long and full of experiences. The novice men went out an hour early just to make the most of this trip as we could. However, during our time warming up Aiden’s rigger, our bow seat, ended up coming off the boat. So we had to head in after that. It wasn’t so bad though, since it led us to have the chance to row in the Lubbers, the current V1 boat. Most of this practice was spent on backing the blade into the water and just spending time rowing as a boat. 

Outside of practice, most of my time was spent with the other novice men. Our coach took us to get ice cream as a reward for a successful setting drill. Here we got another amazing food review from Michael as he enjoyed his blizzard. Overall, our time with the trip was full of great memories. 

Ellie Mulder 

Good morning, Laker Nation! Today is Monday, day 2 of our spring break training here in Gainesville, Georgia! We started off the day strong with morning practice consisting of steady-state in an 8 boat by 4s and 6s. Along the way, we performed pause drills to focus on the timing of body movements at the catch. Coach McKenzie taught us that as we approach the catch, we need to have faster arm movement and slow down the legs to make sure that once we do reach the catch, the oar blade enters the water at the exact same time as when our legs reach the end of the slide. It was a tricky concept for us all to grasp at first, but I saw improvements with our slide speed and tendency to lunge or over-compress at the catch. While rowing back to the dock by 6s, I noticed that our oars were rarely checking (touching) the water as we rolled up through the recovery. This made me so happy! It was only a few months ago that our novice 8 could only get one or two “tickless” strokes in a row. We are making so much progress in improving our form! 

After morning practice concluded, we all loaded into the minivans and drove back to the hotel where we ate deli sandwiches, various chips, and watermelon. We played a few rounds of the classic game Telephone which was fun, too. After our delicious and nutritious lunch, around a dozen women rowers and myself drove to Dunkin Donuts to enjoy post-practice coffees. One thing I’m really enjoying about this trip is all of the opportunity to interact and get to know members of the team I haven’t gotten close with yet! Especially as a first-year member of the team, the trip has been an amazing bonding experience. 

Next was the afternoon practice! It was a bright and sunny 70° evening in our novice 8 boat. We brought up the power with a Battle Paddle between port side and the starboard side! It was a fierce competition between pair partners, boat halves, 6s, and eventually all 8! It was a thrilling experience to go head-to-

head with the other girls and cheer them on! Afterwards we rowed by all 8 at higher rates and focused on keeping the boat controlled. In the end, I saw lots of improvement in our timing, rushing, and overall, boat synchronicity. 

Finally, we drove back to the hotel and enjoyed a burger and macaroni dinner together. Some of us went out to ice cream after and it was a blast! I cannot wait for what fun adventures await me for the rest of the week!

Categories: Rowing
Posted on Permanent link for Rowing Club Takes on Georgia Over Spring Break - Day 2 - 3/6/23 on March 14, 2023.