Historic Back-to-Back Title for Grand Valley State Lakers

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Grand Valley State women's basketball team etched their name in the history books once again, winning their second straight National Championship and the second in program history.

The Lakers led wire-to-wire in a 72-49 victory over Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) on Saturday, March 28, at the Barclays Center. GVSU will finish the season with a 36-1 record, winners of their final 15 games.

This championship was on the one-year anniversary of last year's title, also won in Pittsburgh. The Lakers claimed their third National Championship in program history, with the previous two coming in 2005-06 and 2024-25.

Senior Leadership Delivers Historic Achievement

GVSU senior Nicole Kamin led the charge with tournament MVP honors after tallying 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.

Paige VanStee scored a game-high 25 points, hitting 9-11 from the floor, adding nine blocks, three steals, and three blocks. MacKenzie Bisballe recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks.

"It is so special. It is such a blessing to be in this position with these girls," Kamin said. "There have been so many emotions throughout this whole week. We knew this was our last game (as seniors) and we just put it all out there."

GVSU coach Mike Williams praised the senior leadership. "We knew we were pretty good early in the year, but it was never talked about (repeating) once. I never heard it from the players or even the parents," Williams said. "To see this group come together with these senior leaders is amazing. This group really loves each other. That is what special teams have."

Dominant Defense Powers Lakers to Victory

The Lakers got out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, forcing an early Crimson Hawk timeout. Molly Anderson drilled a triple, then two Paige VanStee free throws put the Lakers up 17-8 after the first quarter.

Both teams traded baskets for the first four and a half minutes of the second quarter. The Lakers led 26-17, before going on an 11-0 scoring run, pushing their lead up to 20 points. IUP was able to cut their deficit to 17 points at the half, down 41-24.

VanStee ended the run with a triple, starting her own personal 8-0 run. The Laker lead stayed above 20 points the rest of the way, up 58-35 with 10 minutes to play. Grand Valley State got their lead up to as much as 28 points with five and a half minutes to play, coasting the rest of the way to clinch their third National Championship in program history.

As a defense, the Lakers held the Crimson Hawks to 31.1% shooting from the field and blocked 13 shots.

Sensational Seniors Rewrite Record Books

The graduating class of Paige VanStee, Nicole Kamin, Molly Anderson, Lexi Plitzuweit, and Avery Zeinstra rewrote the record books in their time with the Lakers.

Over their time with the Lakers, they were apart of five GLIAC regular season titles, four GLIAC Tournament titles, three Midwest Regional crowns, three trips to the Final Four, and two National Championships.

"It is a great feeling to go out like this," Zeinstra said.

Exclusive Company

GVSU won its back-to-back title joining exclusive company. Lubbock Christian won in 2019 and 2021 sandwiched around the canceled COVID-19 year but before that, the last true repeat title was Cal Poly Pomona in 2001-02.

That is it. GVSU is the seventh Division II team to win two national championships in a row.

Full Tournament Dominance

The Lakers were on a mission all season, but especially once the postseason started. GVSU wanted to prove they were the best two years in a row.

In the GLIAC tournament, the Lakers beat Lake Superior State by 44 points, No. 21 Northern Michigan by 28 and Ferris State by 21.

In the first three rounds of the NCAA regional, GVSU beat Maryville by 33, Wayne State by 20 and Northwood by 10 for the regional title.

On to the Elite Eight where GVSU beat Carson-Newman by 48, then crushed No. 25 Alabama-Huntsville by 22, leading to the finals.

They won every game by double figures and won all but one game by 20 points or more.

Complete Team Effort

Teresa Maggio led IUP (31-3) with 20 points and was named to the all-tournament team.

Kamin and Bisballe each had 18 points with Bisballe grabbing seven rebounds and blocking five shots and Kamin tallying five rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal.

Anderson and Scanlon had three points, while Zeinstra and Anayya Davis each scored two. Anderson tallied four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

"I can't describe it. I knew I wasn't going to go out on a loss. We were going to do anything to get it done," VanStee said.

Legacy for Grand Valley State

The legacy they leave off the court is unquantifiable, but back-to-back titles leaves an amazing legacy for the Lakers.

"It is a great feeling to go out like this," Zeinstra said.

GVSU coverage this season continues to highlight the program's excellence in women's basketball under head coach Mike Williams.

Sources

• https://gliac.org/news/2026/3/29/national-champions-grand-valley-state-womens-basketball-claims-second-straight-ncaa-title.aspx
• https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/sports/college/2026/03/28/gvsu-womens-basketball-beats-iup-for-ncaa-division-ii-championship/89186820007/