2004 FERRIS STATE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL AWARDS PRESENTED

Senior Setter Ashley Green Chosen As Team Most Valuable Player

Senior setter Ashley Green was chosen as FSU's MVP for the 2004 season

Ferris State concluded the 2004 campaign with a 25-7 overall record, including a second place 14-4 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division mark. FSU, which claimed its ninth GLIAC Championship this season by virtue of its league tournament title, also advanced to the NCAA-II National Tournament for the 12th time in school history. The 2004 season marked FSU’s seventh consecutive winning campaign and its sixth 20-win season in the last seven years to date.

Senior setter Ashley Green (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) was named the squad’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. A 2004 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention selection, Green compiled a squad-best 883 assists this season despite missing 10 matches due to an injury. She also earned GLIAC All-Tournament Team Most Valuable Player Award accolades after compiling 124 assists, 31 digs, 10 kills and eight blocks in Ferris' three league tournament matches. Green, who twice (2002-03) attained first-team All-GLIAC kudos, concluded her career ranked third on FSU’s career assists leaders list with 4,411 career assists in 113 outings. The 2002 AVCA Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team honoree notched 40 or more assists in 10 matches this season.

Junior libero Brittny Godlewski (St. Clair Township/Marysville) and freshman setter/outside hitter Candice Marut (Pinconning) were named co-recipients of the team’s Bulldog Award. Godlewski, who is a three-time (2002-04) recipient of the award, placed second overall among the team's digs leaders this campaign with a personal career-high 396 digs. She also added 21 service aces while becoming the first libero player in GLIAC history to attain second team all-conference recognition. A two-time (2002-03) honorable mention All-GLIAC selection, Godlewski registered 10 digs or more in 20 matches this campaign and was selected to the Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region Second Team for the second consecutive year. Marut, who redshirted this season, was also honored with the award which is annually presented for displaying the heart and desire of a Bulldog.

The Coaches Award was given to both junior setter/defensive specialist Emily Clouse (Tiffin, Ohio/Bascom Hopewell-Loudon) and sophomore middle hitter Karla White (New Baltimore/Anchor Bay). The 5-9 Clouse, who received the award for the second-straight season, notched 572 assists, 220 digs and 15 service aces in 32 matches this campaign. A two-time (2003-04) GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree, Clouse garnered a personal career-best 56 assists at Grand Valley State (10/21) and totaled 10 or more digs in seven outings this season. White compiled 263 kills, 112 total blocks and 14 service aces in 30 matches this campaign. She ranked third among the squad’s kills leaders and placed second in blocks while recording GLIAC All-Academic Team honors.

Ninth-year FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm also honored the squad’s league and regional postseason award winners, which included senior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City). A second team 2004 AVCA All-America honoree, Fairbanks concluded her career ranked third on Ferris' all-time chart with 1,649 career kills. The 5-11 Fairbanks posted 20 or more kills in 15 of her last 23 appearances this season while totaling a personal career-high 538 kills. She also attained first-team All-GLIAC, AVCA All-Great Lakes Region and NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region All-Tournament Team laurels this season. Sophomore outside hitter Danielle Baucher (Kalamazoo/Mattawan), who tallied 340 kills and 416 digs this season, was recognized for being named both second-team All-GLIAC and AVCA All-Great Lakes Region while junior middle hitter Lauren Heine (Ypsilanti) claimed recognition for being chosen to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team. The 6-1 Heine netted 186 kills and a team-high 150 blocks.

Eighteen of FSU’s 20 squad members from the 2004 campaign are eligible to return next season.