FSU'S KARLA FAIRBANKS ATTAINS GLIAC AWARD RECOGNITION
Senior Outside Hitter Named Schelde/GLIAC North Division Player of Week
Senior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City) of the 2004 Ferris State University women's volleyball team has been named this week's (Oct. 11) Schelde/Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division Player of the Week as announced by the league office.
Fairbanks' selection this week represents the third time in seven weeks she has claimed the league's award this campaign. She previously was honored both Sept. 13 and Sept. 29 by the GLIAC.
Fairbanks led the Bulldogs to a 2-1 mark last week as she compiled 57 kills, 26 digs, 11 blocks and four service aces in three matches. The 5-11 Fairbanks, who averaged 5.18 kills per game and hit .237 during the stretch, also tied former Bulldog player Morgan Buckner (1997-00) for fifth place on the school's career kills leaders list with 1,429 kills to date.
The All-America candidate tallied 25 kills along with nine digs, five block assists and two solo blocks in Saturday's (Oct. 9) 3-1 league win at Mercyhurst. She added 17 kills and nine digs in Friday's (Oct. 8) 3-0 triumph at Gannon after totaling 15 kills and eight digs in Tuesday's (Oct. 5) home loss to nationally-ranked Grand Valley State.
The 2002 GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree currently has 160 career service aces and is nine away from matching Kris Johnson's (1982-85) fifth-place career mark of 169 aces at FSU. Fairbanks has posted 20 or more kills in eight of her last 12 appearances this season to date. She is 11 digs shy of attaining her 800th career dig.
Fairbanks, who was named a co-recipient of Ferris’ 2003 Most Valuable Player Award, registered a team-high 516 kills and 336 digs during the 2003 campaign. She also became the 13th player in school history to register 1,000 career kills. A 2004 team tri-captain, Fairbanks recorded 26 double-figure kill outings and totaled 17 double-double (kills & digs) performances last campaign while earning first-team All-GLIAC recognition. She claimed GLIAC North Division Player of the Week kudos twice (9/8 & 10/5) last season and finished the season ranked third in kills (4.57 kpg) and fourth in service aces (0.51 apg) among the league’s leaders.
Besides earning first-team All-GLIAC accolades in 2003, Fairbanks attained both first team American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Daktronics, Inc., All-Great Lakes Region kudos. She also garnered AVCA Honorable Mention All-America recognition as a junior.
Ferris State, which is presently 15-5 overall and 7-3 in GLIAC action this season, will host Wayne State in conference action Friday, Oct. 15, at FSU’s Ewigleben Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Match time is set for 5 p.m. (EDT). The Bulldogs will then square off against Hillsdale Saturday, Oct. 16, in a 3 p.m. (EDT) league home encounter.
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