FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team will open its 32nd season of varsity competition this Friday-Saturday, Aug. 27-28, by hosting the Ferris State Invitational at FSU’s Ewigleben Sports Complex in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs are slated to face Midwestern State (Texas) in this Friday’s 3 p.m. (EDT) non-league opener and square off against West Virginia State at 6 p.m. (EDT). FSU will then battle California (Pa.) and Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) in non-conference action this Saturday at 12 p.m. (EDT) and 3 p.m. (EDT), respectively. Nine teams are participating in the two-day event.

Last Season – Ferris compiled a 15-14 overall mark during the 2003 campaign, which represented the program's sixth consecutive winning season and included a third-place 12-6 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division finish. The Bulldogs also made their sixth-straight league tournament appearance in 2003.

The 32nd Season – The 2004 campaign marks the 32nd season of Ferris State women’s volleyball. Since the program’s inception in 1972, the Bulldogs have compiled a 667-390 (.631) overall record. Ferris has won eight GLIAC titles, made 11 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and registered 24 winning seasons in its previous 31 campaigns.

Bulldog Captains – Senior setter Ashley Green (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin), senior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City) and junior libero Brittny Godlewski (St. Clair Township/Marysville) were voted tri-captains for the 2004 campaign. Fairbanks attained honorable mention American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America accolades in 2003. Green was both a first-team All-GLIAC and honorable mention AVCA All-Great Lakes Region selection last season while Godlewski received second-team Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region kudos.

The Bulldog Volleyball Tradition – Ferris State has won 20 or more matches in five of its last six seasons to date. The Bulldogs, who have recorded at least 20 victories in a season 16 times, are presently 132-59 (.691) 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.

The Ferris State Invitational – The Bulldogs, who last hosted their own invitational in 2001, have had previous success in the season-opening event. From 1998-2001, the Bulldogs opened each of their four campaigns unbeaten with a 4-0 record after winning consecutive matches in the home event. Among the other teams in this year’s field are Cal-State Dominguez Hills, Gannon, Lake Superior State and Shippensburg (Pa.). This season’s event is sponsored by the Country Inn and Suites along with the Super 8 Motel of Big Rapids.

More On The Invite – Action is slated to take place on two courts at Jim Wink Arena and on a single court at the 600-seat Ewigleben Sports Arena. Matches are scheduled for 12 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 27) and 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 28). Both facilities are housed within the FSU Sports and Convocation Complex, which is located on the southern edge of campus. All four Ferris State matches will take place inside the Ewigleben Sports Arena. Admission is $5 per person per day. FSU students and youth ages five and under will be admitted free of charge.

The Starting Point – The 2004 campaign marks the first time the Bulldogs have opened the season at home since the 2001 campaign. The Bulldogs, who have won their first four matches five of the last six years to date, registered their best start in school history (10-0) in 2000. Ferris is 25-6 (.806) all-time in season-opening encounters, including a 7-1 mark under ninth-year head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm. FSU is 7-0 (home), 6-2 (road) and 12-4 (neutral) all-time it its first match of the year. The Bulldogs had won seven consecutive initial matches of a campaign and 12 of their last 14 overall prior to last season’s 3-0 loss to North Florida (8/29) at the UNF Labor Day Classic in Jacksonville, Fla.

Head Coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm – FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm presently ranks second among Ferris’ all-time coaching victory leaders. Brandel-Wilhelm, who has a current 283-109 (.722) career mark, is 165-89 (.650) in eight seasons at Ferris. A 1990 Alma graduate, Brandel-Wilhelm guided the Bulldogs to NCAA-II Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2002. Brandel-Wilhelm, who was voted the GLIAC’s Coach of the Year in 2002, currently is 17 victories shy of notching her 300th career win.

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 including rosters, statistics, yearbooks and more. A complete Ferris State Invitational schedule can also be found.

Bulldog Bits - The Bulldogs return all 12 squad members from last season’s team, which won 12 of its final 18 matches. All seven starters, including libero Britty Godlewski, return this campaign ...... Karla Fairbanks currently has 1,111 career kills and is 30 shy of tying Lisa Haan (1,141) for 11th place on the school’s career kills chart ....... Ashley Green presently has 3,528 career assists and ranks third on the school’s all-time chart. Green needs 1,426 more to match Sharon Sanders’ (4,954) second-place FSU career mark ...... Ferris has compiled a 217-57 (.792) record to date in 23 seasons of action (1981-present) at Ewigleben Sports Arena. The Bulldogs are 59-10 (.855) in home matches since 1998. In 2002, Ferris posted an 8-0 home mark, which was the program’s sixth undefeated campaign in the 600-seat facility. FSU was 6-2 at home last season ....... FSU’s current 20-player roster is the program’s largest season opening roster in school history.

GLIAC Poll – FSU was picked to finish fourth in the 2004 GLIAC Volleyball Coaches Preseason North Division Poll, which was released Monday (Aug. 23). The Bulldogs totaled 26 points in the balloting conducted by the conference's head coaches. Northern Michigan was the favorite to repeat as divisional champions as the Wildcats recorded 33 points along with four first-place votes. Northwood (28 points) took second place with Grand Valley State (27) third. Findlay, which won the South Division crown last season, received 24 points and four first-place votes in being selected the South Division favorite. The league's 13 head coaches voted for the division in which they play, but were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Up Next – Ferris continues non-league action in the Cal-State Dominguez Hills Toro Classic Friday-Saturday, Sept. 3-4, at the Torodome in Carson, Calif. FSU will square off against Humboldt State (Calif.) and host Cal-State Dominguez Hills Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. (EDT) and 9 p.m. (EDT), respectively. The Bulldogs conclude action Sept. 4 versus Merrimack (Mass.) at 3 p.m. (EDT).

Bulldog Athletics Luncheon – The initial Bulldog Athletics Luncheon of the 2004-05 athletics season will be held this Wednesday, Aug. 25, from 12-1 p.m. (EDT) at FSU’s Wheeler Pavilion located at Top Taggart Field. Featured speakers include FSU women’s volleyball head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, football head coach Jeff Pierce and women’s soccer head coach Melissa Lalonde. For more information, please contact the FSU Alumni Office at (231) 591-2345.

A Look At The Opponents:

Midwestern State (Texas): Ferris and Midwestern State will square off for the first time this Friday. The Indians compiled a 14-19 overall mark in 2003, including a fourth-place tying 3-7 finish in the Lone Star Conference’s (LSC) North Division. MSU, which was picked fifth in the 2004 LSC Preseason Coaches Poll, returns senior right-side hitter Melissa Minus, who totaled 312 kills last season. The Indians are directed by first-year head coach Venera Flores.

West Virginia State: The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets will meet for the first time Friday. West Virginia State tallied a 16-19 overall record last season and placed seventh (11-8) in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC). Third-year head coach Shannon Gerencir returns five starters this campaign, including sophomore outside hitter Leah Wilson (3.44 kpg in 2003). The Yellow Jackets were third overall in the 2004 WVIAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

California (Pa.): FSU holds a 1-0 series advantage entering Saturday’s meeting by virtue of its 3-0 home win (9/27/91) in the 1991 Ferris State Invitational. CUP was 19-14 overall last year and posted a fifth place 3-7 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s (PSAC) West Division. Junior outside hitter Katie Barker, who registered a team-high 457 kills last season, is one of five starters back for third-year head coach Melissa Myers.

Saint Joseph’s (Ind.): Ferris holds a commanding 6-0 series advantage heading into Saturday’s tilt. The Bulldogs, who are unbeaten (2-0) all-time against the Pumas at home, posted a 3-0 triumph in the most recent series’ meeting (9/1/02) at the Wheeling Jesuit (W.Va.) Invitational in Wheeling, W.Va. SJC, which is directed by ninth-year head coach Linda Deno, was selected ninth in the 2004 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Preseason Poll after registering a 7-24 overall mark and a fifth place 3-12 GLVC Blue Division finish last season. Senior outside hitter Jill Mourey is back after totaling 324 kills in 2003.