FERRIS STATE ANNOUNCES 2004 VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Fourteen Home Dates Among FSU’s 28 Regular-Season Outings This Campaign

The Bulldogs will open their 32nd season by hosting the Ferris State Invitational Aug. 27-28

Fourteen regular-season home matches and a trip to California highlight the 2004 Ferris State University women’s volleyball schedule, which was announced today by FSU Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic.

“As in years past, our schedule will be extremely challenging this season,” said ninth-year head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, who holds a 165-89 (.650) record at FSU to date. “The non-conference portion of our schedule will be difficult and conference play is always tough in our league.”

Ferris State opens its 32nd season of varsity competition by hosting its own Ferris State Invitational Aug. 27-28 at FSU’s Ewigleben Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs, who last hosted the invitational during the 2001 campaign, compiled a 16-0 cumulative mark in the regular-season opening event from 1998-2001. FSU is slated to face Midwestern State (Texas) and West Virginia State Friday, Aug. 27, at 3 p.m. (EDT) and 6 p.m. (EDT), respectively. The Bulldogs will then battle California (Pa.) and Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) on Saturday, Aug. 28, with match times beginning at 12 p.m. (EDT) and 3 p.m. (EDT).

Ferris continues the 10-match non-conference portion of its schedule by taking part in both the Cal-State Dominguez Hills Toro Classic (Sept. 3-4) in Carson, Calif., and the Great Lakes Region Crossover (Sept. 10-11) at Wheeling, W.Va. FSU will face Humboldt State (Calif.), Cal-State Dominguez Hills and Merrimack (Mass.) in the Toro Classic before meeting Indianapolis, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Fairmont State (W.Va.) at the Great Lakes Region Crossover.

The Bulldogs start Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) action with back-to-back home contests versus Findlay (Sept. 17) and Ashland (Sept. 18). FSU then travels to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for consecutive league matches at Lake Superior State (Sept. 23), Northern Michigan (Sept. 24) and Michigan Tech (Sept. 25).

The Bulldogs’ remaining home schedule includes contests against Saginaw Valley State (Sept. 30), Northwood (Oct. 2), Grand Valley State (Oct. 5), Wayne State (Oct. 15), Hillsdale (Oct. 16), Lake Superior State (Nov. 5), Northern Michigan (Nov. 6) and the regular-season finale versus Michigan Tech (Nov. 7).

Following its league trip to the Upper Peninsula, Ferris hits the road for GLIAC matchups versus Gannon (Oct. 8), Mercyhurst (Oct. 9) and Grand Valley State (Oct. 21). FSU will also visit Saginaw Valley State (Oct. 29) and Northwood (Oct. 30) during its 18-match league slate.

“We’ll have to play at a high level every weekend during conference play,” Brandel-Wilhelm said. “The league race is always tight and a good majority of the schools return quality experience this season.”

Ferris State compiled the program's sixth consecutive winning campaign with a 15-14 overall record in 2003, including a third-place 12-6 GLIAC North Division finish. The Bulldogs won 12 of their final 18 matches last season and return all 12 of their 2003 squad members for the 2004 campaign after making the program’s sixth straight league tournament appearance a year ago.

The Bulldogs, who have compiled a 217-57 (.792) record to date in 23 seasons of competition at Ewigleben Sports Arena since moving from the Health and Physical Education (HPE) Building in 1981, last played 14 regular-season home matches in 2001 and compiled an 11-3 mark. Ferris registered its sixth undefeated home season in the facility with an 8-0 record during the 2002 campaign while making the squad’s 11th all-time NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. FSU posted a 6-2 home record last season.

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