FSU Garners NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament Berth
November 17, 2002
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The Ferris State University women's volleyball team received a bid to take part in the 2002 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament in an announcement made Sunday (Nov. 17) by the NCAA. The regional tournament will be hosted by Grand Valley State this weekend (Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24) and be held at GVSU's Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Mich.
Ferris (24-6) is the region's third overall seed and will face sixth-seeded Wheeling Jesuit (W.Va.) this Friday (Nov. 22) at 5 p.m. (EST). Wheeling Jesuit, presently 35-8 overall, claimed the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (WVIAC) automatic berth by virtue of its league tournament championship. The winner of Friday's match is scheduled to face second-seeded Northwood (28-5) in this Saturday's (Nov. 23) first semifinal match at 5 p.m. (EST).
The other quarterfinal round match pits fourth-seeded Lewis (Ill.), which is currently 25-4 overall, against fifth-seeded Southern Indiana (25-7) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (EST). The winner will face top-seeded Grand Valley State (29-2) in this Saturday's second semifinal contest at 7:30 p.m. (EST) with the regional title match slated for Sunday at 5 p.m. (EST). The winner of Sunday's championship match will advance to the 22nd annual NCAA-II Elite Eight, which will be held Dec. 5-7 at a campus site to be determined.
The NCAA-II Women's Volleyball Committee chose 48 teams to take part in the 2002 field. The committee selected six teams from each of the following regions to participate in the championship: North Central, Pacific, South Central, Southwest, Atlantic, Great Lakes, Northeast and South.
FSU, which will be making its 11th national tournament appearance, last appeared in the regional tournament in 1999. The Bulldogs also played in the NCAA-II Tournament from 1982-87, 1989-90 and 1992.
Ferris State is ranked 22nd overall in the latest (Nov. 12) American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II national poll. The Bulldogs dropped a 3-2 decision versus Gannon in last Thursday's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament quarterfinal round contest at the GVSU Fieldhouse in Allendale.
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