Lady Lancer Spikers Rake In Crossroads League Awards

WINONA LAKE – Six players from Grace College’s volleyball team were honored by the Crossroads League, highlighted by Alexa Hill as the league’s Setter of the Year.

Hill and Sierra Smith were honored as First Team All-League honorees, and Sara Miller and Caylie Teel earned a spot on the Second Team.

Additionally, Kelsee Zuidema was honorable mention for All-League, and Gina Novotny was named to the league’s All-Freshman Team.

Hill was deservedly recognized as the league’s best setter. She led the nation in total assists for much of the season and currently is fourth in the NAIA with 1,450 assists. She is averaging 10.7 assists per set and has 20 matches this season with 40 or more assists.

Smith was a consistent offensive threat for Grace. She amassed a team-high 356 kills on a .245 percentage, and she had 16 matches with double-digit kills.

Teel and Miller were mainstays on Grace’s backline all year. Miller, the team’s libero, has 693 digs this year and is in striking distance of the single-season record of 747 (Stacey Jackson, 1995). The senior ranks No. 5 all-time in team history with 1,894 career digs.

Teel showcased her versatility this year. While playing primarily as a defense specialist, she stepped into an outside hitter role midway through the year as Grace battled multiple injuries. As a result, Teel is second on the team with 448 digs and fourth with 211 kills.

Zuidema has been the team’s most explosive hitter, pounding out 3.6 kills per set while hitting at a team-high .257 percentage.

Novotny was voted as one of the outstanding freshmen in the league. She averaged 2.5 digs per set with 341 digs overall.

The Lady Lancers finished third in the league standings, going 12-6 in the Crossroads League. Grace then reached the tournament semifinals before losing to eventual champion Indiana Wesleyan.



Grace To Face No. 5 Baker In NAIA Opening Round

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Opening Round pairings for the 2017 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship have been set.

Grace will play at No. 5 Baker in the first round of the national tournament on Saturday at 8 p.m. (Eastern).

The winners of the 16 Opening Round matchups will advance to the final site in Delray Beach, Fla., beginning on Nov. 27.

The Lancers are making their first appearance at NAIA Nationals in 35 years (1982) and only second appearance in program history. Grace punched its ticket by upsetting No. 21 Spring Arbor in the Crossroads League Tournament championship.

Grace was the only Crossroads League team to make the national tournament.

Baker is making its 10th appearance in the national tournament. The Wildcats (15-4-2) were the co-regular season champion in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and finished as the runner-up in the conference tournament.

The Wildcats have an all-time 6-8-1 record at NAIA Nationals. They have outscored opponents 47-22 this season.

The winner of Baker/Grace will play either No. 12 Columbia or Northwestern Ohio in Florida.



Binkley, Hamlin Sweep Crossroads League Awards

WINONA LAKE – The final Player of the Week awards from the Crossroads League both went to Grace’s men’s soccer team on Monday.

Damon Binkley was named the Offensive Player of the Week, and Kurt Hamlin was the Defensive Player of the Week.

Both players made key contributions to Grace’s Crossroads League Tournament championship on Saturday; the Lancers secured their first championship since 1992 and advanced to the NAIA National Championship for the first time since 1982 thanks to a 4-3 overtime win at Spring Arbor.

Hamlin racked up 11 saves at No. 21 Spring Arbor. He made several late stops in regulation to preserve the 3-3 scoreline, and Grace won the match 4-3 in overtime.

Binkley scored two goals on Saturday. He scored the first goal of the match. In the second half, he tied the game 3-3 in the 70th minute to keep Grace’s hopes alive. Nikola Djordjevic won the game for Grace with a goal to remember in overtime.