Oct. 13, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Audrey Torres shined in Grand Rapids Community College's 3-0 win against Kalamazoo Valley Community College on Thursday, compiling a match-high 15 kills and helping the team to its 18th straight win.
GRCC hasn’t lost since dropping to first two matches of the season, and has two matches before postseason play begins.
Torres hit .414 with just three errors in 29 attempts. It was the third-best hitting percentage of her sophomore campaign and the fifth time she has had at least 15 kills. She also had a team-high three service aces and eight digs.
GRCC struggled most of the first set, trailing by as many as seven points. But the team rallied back to tie late in set and hang on for a 27-25 win. The final sets were not so close, with GRCC winning 25-14 in each.
Kara Hecht tallied nine kills and seven digs and Eliza Thelen and Karissa Ferry each added eight kills. Audrey Gower had a team-high 13 digs.
"I thought we responded very well after set one," Gower said. "Set one was a little shaky, but we found ways to overcome what had happened. We thought of set two as a brand new set and went on from there."
Thursday’s match was played at Calvin University, as the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse was pressed into service for a college fair that attracted thousands of people and 75 colleges.
GRCC, ranked No. 17 in the nation, is in first place in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association’s new Northern Conference, and already has clinched a share of the Northern Conference title.
The team next faces Muskegon Community College at home in the final conference game of the season on Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Muskegon is in second place with a 20-6 record, and 6-1 in the conference, with the lone conference loss coming on Sept. 29 against GRCC.
With a victory, GRCC would be the outright conference champ and earn a berth in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association tournament in two weeks.