FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team will battle the nationally-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers this Friday (Nov. 1) in a 7 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter at GVSU’s Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Mich. The Lakers are presently ranked sixth and FSU is 21st in the latest (Oct. 22) American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II national poll.

Bulldogs Win Three At Home - Ferris State won its final three regular-season home matches last weekend (Oct. 25-27) at FSU’s Ewigleben (pronounced A-VAH-glave-in) Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs defeated Michigan Tech by a score of 3-1 last Friday (Oct. 25) and then handed Lake Superior State a 3-0 setback last Saturday (Oct. 26). Ferris, presently 23-3 overall and 14-1 in league action, beat Northern Michigan 3-1 in last Sunday’s (Oct. 27) Senior Day contest. FSU is ranked second in the latest (Oct. 16) NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional rankings behind Grand Valley State.

Last Season - Ferris State concluded the 2001 campaign with a 21-11 overall record, which included a second-place tying 12-6 GLIAC North Division finish. The Bulldogs advanced to the GLIAC Tournament championship match (11/10/01) for the third time in the last four seasons and dropped a 3-0 decision versus Northwood.

The 30th Season Of Bulldog Volleyball - The 2002 campaign marks the 30th anniversary of the Ferris State women’s volleyball program. Since the program’s inception in 1972, the Bulldogs have compiled a 651-372 (.636) overall record. Ferris has won eight GLIAC titles, made 10 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and registered 22 winning seasons in its previous 29 campaigns. FSU garnered its 650th all-time victory last Saturday versus Lake Superior State.

FSU Keeps Winning - Ferris State is in the midst of its fifth consecutive 20-win campaign. The Bulldogs, who have recorded at least 20 victories in a season 16 times, are presently 116-41 (.739) overall since the start of the 1998 campaign. The 1984 FSU squad won a NCAA-II record 46 consecutive matches en route to a school-best 48-3 overall mark. Ferris’ current 14-1 GLIAC mark represents its best league start since posting a 16-0 conference record in 1990. The 2002 Bulldogs could set a school record for most conference wins by winning their final three regular-season contests.

On The Road Again - Ferris State is 563-261 (.683) overall since 1981 and sports a 370-209 (.639) record in road/neutral site matches during that span. The Bulldogs are 83-54 (.606) overall in league road matches since 1987, including a 6-1 (.857) mark this season.

League Showdown This Friday - Ferris and Grand Valley State share the GLIAC North Division lead with identical 14-1 league records entering this Friday’s showdown. The Lakers, currently 23-2 overall, defeated Lake Superior State 3-0 this past Sunday to win their seventh consecutive contest. Grand Valley State holds a 40-37 series advantage over Ferris State, which includes a 26-23 edge in Allendale heading into this Friday’s 78th series meeting. However, Ferris defeated GVSU 3-2 in the last meeting (10/8/02) in front of a FSU Ewigleben Sports Arena capacity crowd of 600. Grand Valley State, which has currently won 39 of its last 41 GLIAC tilts to date, had won 14 consecutive matches prior to the loss. The Lakers’ only other conference setback in the last two campaigns also came at Ferris on Oct. 25, 2001. FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 5-8 career coaching mark against the Lakers, who have captured five of the past eight contests. GVSU registered a 30-5 overall record during the 2001 campaign and claimed the NCAA-II Great Lakes Region championship. The winner of this Friday’s battle will hold the inside track to both the GLIAC North Division crown and the opportunity to host the eighth annual league tournament, which is slated for Nov. 14-16 at the site of the highest-seeded team.

Head Coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm - FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm presently ranks second among Ferris’ all-time coaching victory leaders. Brandel, who has a current 267-91 (.746) career mark, is 149-71 (.677) in seven seasons at Ferris and needs one win to record her 150th Bulldog victory. A 1990 Alma graduate, Brandel-Wilhelm guided the Bulldogs to an NCAA-II Tournament appearance in 1999. She previously spent three seasons as head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan (1993-1995) in Buckhannon, W.Va., where she led the Bobcats to a fifth-place finish at the 1995 NCAA-II Championships. Brandel-Wilhelm entered the 2002 season ranked 11th among NCAA-II’s winningest active coaches.

Bulldog Bites - Sophomore outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City) presently has registered at least 10 kills in 22 of her last 25 appearances ..... Senior middle hitter Angie Desmarais (Jackson/Lumen Chrisi) has 476 career kills to date and needs 24 more to attain her 500th career dig. She tied a personal career-high with 11 kills against Northern Michigan ........ Ferris has presently won 20 of its last 22 GLIAC regular season matches dating back to last season .......... Sophomore setter Ashley Green (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) notched her 2,000th career assist versus Lake Superior State while senior outside hitter Erin Rind (Carol Stream, Ill./Streamwood) attained her 300th career dig against Northern Michigan ....... Senior outside hitter Stephanie Speed (Bothell, Wash.) recorded her 500th career kill in FSU's win over Michigan Tech. Speed, who has compiled 10 or more digs in nine of her last 13 outings to date, presently has 898 career digs and is 105 digs shy of becoming the 10th player in school history to record 1,000 career digs ........ Freshman libero Brittny Godlewski (St. Clair Township/Marysville) tied a personal career-high with 18 digs versus NMU ....... The Bulldogs clinched their fifth consecutive GLIAC Tournament berth with three wins last weekend. FSU previously claimed tournament runner-up honors in 1998, 1999 and 2001 ...... Ferris recorded its sixth unbeaten regular-season home campaign with last weekend’s sweep of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula opponents. The Bulldogs’ 8-0 mark at the Ewigleben Sports Arena this season is its first without a home loss since tallying a 8-0 record in 1996. Ferris also registered unbeaten home records in 1984 (13-0), 1987 (13-0), 1989 (10-0) and 1990 (12-0). Since 1998, the Bulldogs are 53-8 (.869) overall at home ..... Ferris has presently won 14 of its last 15 contests, including five-straight.

Olds Earns GLIAC Honor - Senior middle hitter Alaina Olds (Kingsley) has been named this week’s (Oct. 28) GLIAC North Division Player of the Week after tallying 58 kills, 53 digs and 14 total blocks in three outings last week. Olds, who had a personal career-high 22 digs versus Northern Michigan, previously earned the honor on both Sept. 3 and Sept. 23. The 2001 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team selection presently has 1,152 career kills and moved past former Bulldog standout Lisa Haan (1988-91) into 10th place on the school's career kills chart last weekend. Olds currently has 434 career blocks and needs nine more to move into a tie for fifth place with Laura Lee (443; 1986-89) on Ferris' career blocks leaders list. The 5-11 Olds has registered at least one kill in 74 consecutive appearances and has garnered 10 or more kills in 21 consecutive matches to date. A second-team 2001 Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region pick, Olds is both Ferris’ kills (4.56 kpg) and blocks (1.17 bpg) leader this season. She currently ranks tied for second place among FSU’s career leaders in attack percentage (.289) and has compiled 15 double-double (kills & digs) performances this campaign. Her current .360 season attack percentage (433-113-890) tops FSU's single-season chart.

Between The Lines - FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm will make regular appearances throughout the season on “Between The Lines,” a weekly half-hour television show devoted to Ferris State Athletics. The program, which is hosted by Ira Childress and produced by FSU’s media productions department, airs each Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (EDT) on WFQX-Fox 33.

FSU On The Internet - Ferris State University Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports. The site features information on all of FSU’s varsity athletics programs.

Looking Ahead - The Bulldogs will conclude the 2002 regular-season campaign next weekend (Friday, Nov. 8-Saturday, Nov. 9). Ferris will battle the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals Friday, Nov. 8, in a 5 p.m. (EST) league match at SVSU’s Cardinal Gymnasium in University Center, Mich. FSU will then square off against the nationally-ranked Northwood Timberwolves in a league encounter Saturday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. (EST) in NU’s Bennett Sports Center at Midland, Mich.