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GRCC: safety first, as volleyball team prepared to head home from Hawaii

Posted at 11:30 PM, Aug 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-22 23:32:21-04

ALLENDALE, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team is scheduled to depart Hawaii on Thursday night, hours before Hurricane Lane is forecasted to pay a rather rude visit to the island state.

Ranked eighth nationally in the NJCAA Division II pre-season poll released last week, the Raiders have played several scrimmages and one match so far during their week-long trip to the United States’ 50th state.

FOX 17 reached out to GRCC late Wednesday night to learn how the schedule is being monitored for the volleyball team’s trip back home. GRCC responded:

    The safety of our students is a top priority, and we have been closely monitoring the situation with Hurricane Lane in Hawaii. We are committed to keeping GRCC volleyball families informed about developments as we work to bring the team home safely. College leaders spoke to athletes’ family members on Wednesday. The college is in regular communication with coaches and the agency coordinating the team’s travel. At this time, the team is still scheduled to depart on Thursday evening.

Expenses for the trip were covered by team fund-raising events. The nationally ranked volleyball program raises money through hosting tournaments, and has been saving for several years to cover expenses to play teams in Hawaii.

Hurricane Lane was a powerful Category 4 cyclone at the time of this report, and projected to pass closest to the big island Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.