ALLENDALE, Mich. — Davenport (11-11, 7-4 GLIAC) fell at Grand Valley State (14-7, 8-3 GLIAC) in straight sets on Friday at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena, with scores of 14-25, 20-25, and 12-25.
Davenport opened the first set with a challenging start, falling behind 7-0 due to the Lakers' effective blocking and serving.
Madison Berry sparked a response for Davenport with a kill, initiating a brief rally that included consecutive points from
Amelia Werner, narrowing the gap to 7-3.
Midway through the set, Davenport cut the deficit to 10-6 following a service ace by
Hayley Carr and a kill by
Kaitlin Jordan, offering some momentum. However, the Lakers reasserted control with a sequence of kills, extending their lead.
Despite efforts from
Abby Alan, who contributed multiple kills, Davenport could not close the gap. The set concluded with the Lakers maintaining a strong lead, finishing 25-14.
Davenport began the second set with a balanced attack, as Alan and Jordan contributed key kills to keep the score tight. A mid-set momentum shift was sparked by a bad set from the Lakers, followed by an attack error, allowing Davenport to briefly take the lead at 4-2. However, the Lakers responded, capitalizing on a service ace and a block to regain the advantage.
The back-and-forth battle continued with Davenport's Alan and Jordan adding crucial points, maintaining pressure and narrowing the score gap. Despite a service ace from Berry bringing Davenport close at 16-18, the Lakers managed to extend their lead with effective blocks and attacks. Ultimately, the set concluded with the Lakers securing a narrow 25-20 victory, leaving Davenport trailing as the match progressed.
Davenport began the third set with an early lead, capitalizing on an attack error by the Lakers and a kill by Jordan, assisted by Berry. Despite initial momentum, Davenport faced a series of challenges, including service and attack errors, allowing the Lakers to equalize and eventually pull ahead.
As the set progressed, Davenport's Alan delivered key kills, but the Lakers responded with a series of successful plays. Kennedy Arp's consistent attacks and blocks shifted momentum, contributing to a scoring run that extended the Lakers' advantage.
Ultimately, Davenport struggled to regain control, with the Lakers holding their lead to close the set at 25-12.
Alan led Davenport with 12 kills on 38 attempts, contributing significantly to the team's offensive output. Carr anchored the defense with a match-high 15 digs and also added six assists.
Madison Berry supported the team's playmaking effort by recording 20 assists and eight digs.
Maggie Juncaj bolstered the defense by collecting 10 digs.
The Panthers will look to get back into the win column tomorrow (Nov. 1) as they travel to Wayne State for a 4:00 pm first serve in Detroit.
