FERRIS' RACHEL FOLCIK CLAIMS GLIAC HONOR FOR FIFTH TIME

Standout Junior Forward Earns Player Of Week Distinction Yet Again This Season

FSU's Rachel Folcik has attained the league weekly honor for the fifth time this year

Folcik tallied 47 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals as the Bulldogs won two conference road games last week. The 6-1 Folcik netted a game-best 31 points along with 11 rebounds and four assists on a 13-of-19 (.684) performance from the floor in the Bulldogs’ 93-85 win Thursday (Feb. 15) at Wayne State. She then added 16 points and five rebounds while converting five-of-nine (.559) field goal tries in only 22 minutes of Saturday’s (Feb. 17) 76-66 league win at Lake Superior State, which allowed Ferris to move into a tie for second place in the North Division. Folcik averaged 23.5 points and eight rebounds on the weekend.

Previously, Folcik was selected as the GLIAC North Division Player of the Week for the first time in her career to open the New Year (Jan. 3) and also attained the honor two other consecutive weeks (Jan. 15 & Jan. 22) in addition to last week (Feb. 12). To date, she's attained the league weekly honor five of the last eight times its been awarded this campaign. Folcik has received the league's weekly honor more than any other male or female conference player this campaign.

Her selection as the GLIAC's weekly award winner this week marks the seventh time a Ferris player has earned the distinction this season as both senior guards Kristin Reinhart (East Lansing) and Erin Miller (Niles) were previous recipients on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27, respectively. FSU has presently had a player honored as the league's player of the week 20 times in the last five seasons, including the current year, to date.

Recently (Feb. 10), Folcik became only the 14th player in school history to notch her 1,000th career point in FSU's 70-65 league home win over Northern Michigan as she tallied 34 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots in the contest. Her seven blocked shots in the game was one shy of tying the school's single-game record while her 16 made field goals in the contest tied the school record.

Folcik is featured in this week's Sports Illustrated magazine issue in the popular "Faces In The Crowd" section of the weekly magazine. Folcik also was recently named to the 2006-07 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Women's Basketball College Division Second Team for her performance both on the floor and in the classroom.

Folcik, who’s currently averaging a team-best 19.0 points per game, has presently scored in double-figures 21 times to date this year. She was honored as Ferris State University’s female Bulldog of the Month award winner for both December and January based on her play the last two months. A team captain, Folcik is also currently averaging a squad-best 8.5 rebounds per game this campaign. She's presently listed second overall in scoring and third in rebounds among the GLIAC's overall leaders while ranking first in field goal (.560) along with second in free throw (.872) percentage.

Last season (2005-06), Folcik was a GLIAC All-Academic Team selection. She finished second among the team's performers in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and third in scoring (12.8 ppg) along with registering 19 double-figure scoring games. Folcik also was named to the Aquinas College Classic All-Tournament Team a year ago. Earlier this year, Folcik was chosen as an all-tourney selection as Ferris posted a 2-0 mark in the season-opening Clarion (Pa.) Classic (Nov. 17-18).

Ferris State, which is currently 18-7 overall and 12-5 in GLIAC play this season, would host a quarterfinal-round home game in the GLIAC Tournament with a win over nationally-ranked archrival Grand Valley State in the regular-season finale this Saturday (Feb. 24) night at Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. (EST) against the defending NCAA-II National Champions.

Prior to Saturday's showdown, the Bulldogs host Marygrove College in non-league play Thursday, Feb. 22, starting at 6 p.m. (EST) inside Wink Arena.