FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team will visit Saginaw Valley State Friday, Oct. 29, for a 7 p.m. (EDT) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter at University Center, Mich. FSU will then battle nationally-ranked Northwood Saturday, Oct. 30, in a 4 p.m. (EDT) league tilt at Midland, Mich. NU is ranked 16th in the latest (Oct. 19) CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II National Poll.

Last Week – FSU, which is presently 18-5 overall and 10-3 in GLIAC action this campaign, defeated archrival and nationally ninth-ranked Grand Valley State 3-1 last Thursday (Oct. 21) in league action at GVSU’s Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Mich. The Bulldogs, who were listed among others receiving votes with five points last week, should be a strong candidate for national rankings consideration when this week’s poll is announced Tuesday (Oct. 26) afternoon.

Regional Rankings – Ferris presently ranks third in the most recent (Oct. 20) NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Rankings. The GLIAC holds the top seven spots in the regional poll with GVSU (1st), Northwood (2nd), Ashland (4th), Findlay (5th), Hillsdale (6th) and Northern Michigan (7th) all being represented. Three automatic and five at-large bids will be awarded in the region, which consists of the GLIAC, Great Lakes Valley (GLVC) and West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences (WVIAC), for the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament set to be held Nov. 18-20 at a campus site.

Last Season – Ferris posted 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 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 685-395 (.634) 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 AVCA All-America accolades in 2003. Green was an honorable mention AVCA All-Great Lakes Region pick 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 150-64 (.701) 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.

Big Win In Allendale – Ferris' victory over archrival GVSU, which was FSU’s first in Allendale since Sept. 3, 1994, ended a four-match series' losing streak to the Lakers. Grand Valley State had won 12 straight series’ meetings at home against the Bulldogs entering the match. GVSU also had its 16-match winning streak this season snapped with the loss.

Only One Away – Karla Fairbanks has 168 career service aces to date and is one away from matching Kris Johnson's (1982-85) fifth-place career mark of 169 aces at Ferris State. The 5-11 Fairbanks has posted 20 or more kills in 10 of her last 14 appearances this season to date. She presently has 1,487 career kills and ranks fifth on the school's all-time chart.

Winners Again – The Bulldogs' current 18-5 mark with five regular-season matches remaining assures themselves of recording the program's seventh consecutive winning campaign and surpasses last season's victory total (15-14). Ferris has won at least 10 matches in each of its last 24 campaigns dating back to 1981.

Head Coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm – FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, who presently ranks second among Ferris’ all-time coaching victory leaders, garnered her 300th career victory against Hillsdale (Oct. 16). Brandel-Wilhelm, who has a current 301-114 (.725) career mark, is 183-94 (.661) in nine seasons at Ferris after previously serving as West Virginia Wesleyan’s head coach from 1993-95. A 1990 Alma graduate, Brandel-Wilhelm guided the Bulldogs to NCAA-II Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2002. She was voted the GLIAC’s Coach of the Year in 2002.

Between The Lines – FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm will make periodic appearances throughout the season on “Between The Lines,” a weekly half-hour television show devoted to Ferris State Athletics. The program, which is hosted by Shannon Vesper and produced by FSU’s media productions department, airs each Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ET) and 8 p.m. (ET), respectively, on FSU’s Cable Channel 7.

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.

Bulldog Bites - The Bulldogs have compiled a 58-9 (.866) overall record in three-game matches since the start of the 2000 campaign. FSU is currently 28-7 (.800) in October matches dating back to 2001 ...... Junior middle hitter Becky Thurau (Troy/Birmingham Groves) is currently 17 kills away from recording her 500th career kill ...... Sophomore outside hitter Danielle Baucher (Kalamazoo/Mattawan) needs 23 kills to garner her 500th career kill and 12 digs to register her 600th career dig ....... Junior setter/defensive specialist Emily Clouse (Tiffin, Ohio/Bascom Hopewell-Loudon) netted a personal career-high 56 assists at Grand Valley State.

On The Road – Ferris State is 597-284 (.678) overall since 1981 and sports a 389-228 (.630) record in road/neutral site matches during that span. The Bulldogs, who posted a 6-6 (.500) road mark last campaign, are currently 5-2 (.714) away from home this season.

Statistical Rankings – Karla Fairbanks currently ranks 14th nationally in kills (5.00 kpg) and 25th in aces (0.67 apg) among the latest (Oct. 18) NCAA-II National Statistical Rankings leaders. She is second in kills (5.08 kpg) and third in service aces (0.66 apg) in the league’s current overall statistical rankings while Ashley Green is fourth in assists (11.22 apg). The Bulldogs lead the GLIAC in opponent’s hitting percentage (.147) and rank second in aces (2.53 apg).

GLIAC Poll – FSU was picked to finish fourth in the 2004 GLIAC Volleyball Coaches Preseason North Division Poll. 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 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.

The 2004 GLIAC Tourney – The 2004 GLIAC Tournament returns to campus sites this season following a one-year hiatus. The top three teams in each division plus the next two best overall teams will qualify for the postseason tournament. The top four teams will host quarterfinal-round action Wednesday, Nov. 10, with the top remaining seed selected to host the semifinals/finals Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13-14. Ferris has five league matches remaining this season.

Up Next – Ferris will host Michigan Tech Thursday, Nov. 4, in a 7 p.m. (EST) GLIAC contest at FSU's Ewigleben Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. FSU will then face Lake Superior State Friday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. (EST) before playing its regular-season finale against Northern Michigan Saturday, Nov. 6, beginning at 4 p.m. (EST). All three league matches are at home.

A Look At The Opponents:

Saginaw Valley State: Ferris and Saginaw Valley State will square off for the 50th time Friday with FSU holding a 41-8 series advantage. In the last meeting (9/30/04), the Bulldogs recorded a 3-2 home win at Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm currently has a 14-3 career coaching record against the Cardinals. FSU, which has won eight of the last nine series contests, holds an 18-6 all-time record versus SVSU in road/neutral site encounters. SVSU compiled a 2-26 overall record in 2003, including a seventh-place 0-18 GLIAC North Division finish. The Cardinals, who are coached by second-year head coach Will Stanton, fell to 2-25 overall and 0-15 in league play this season as a result of a 3-0 conference road loss at Lake Superior State last Sunday (Oct. 24). SVSU has dropped 15 consecutive outings this campaign to date.

Northwood: FSU maintains a 23-17 series edge heading into this Saturday’s 41st series meeting against Northwood. The Timberwolves have won nine of the last 12 series outings and posted a 3-1 win in the last meeting (10/2/04) at Big Rapids, Mich. Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 7-14 career coaching mark against the Timberwolves. NU is presently 18-6 overall and 10-5 in league action this season heading into this Friday’s (Oct. 29) GLIAC home match versus Grand Valley State after losing a 3-0 conference road contest to Northern Michigan Sunday (Oct. 24). Last season, Northwood posted a 18-13 overall record and a fourth-place 11-7 mark in the GLIAC’s North Division. The Timberwolves, who have presently lost two of their last three outings this season, are directed by first-year head coach Tim Koth. Ferris is currently 11-10 versus NU all-time in road/neutral site tilts.