FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team will conclude regular-season action with three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) home matches this weekend (Nov. 4-6) at FSU’s Ewigleben Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris will host Michigan Tech Thursday, Nov. 4, in a 7 p.m. (EST) encounter and then battle Lake Superior State Friday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. (EST). FSU plays its regular-season finale against Northern Michigan Saturday, Nov. 6, beginning at 4 p.m. (EST).

Last Week – FSU, which is presently 20-5 overall and 12-3 in GLIAC action this campaign, won two league road matches last weekend (Oct. 29-30). The Bulldogs posted a 3-1 triumph over Saginaw Valley State Friday (Oct. 29) and then dealt Northwood a 3-1 setback Saturday (Oct. 30).

Dawg Notes – The Bulldogs are ranked tied for 25th place in the latest (Oct. 26) CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II National Poll. Three other GLIAC member schools are also featured in the latest poll including 11th-ranked Grand Valley State, NMU (16th) and NU (18th). Ferris has won seven consecutive matches to date this season and is presently second overall in the GLIAC’s North Division standings.

FSU Clinches Berth – Ferris has clinched a spot in the 2004 GLIAC Tournament, which 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 qualify for the event. 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. Official tourney parings will be released by the league office this Sunday (Nov. 7). FSU has reached the conference tournament seven consecutive seasons to date and previously claimed runner-up honors in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

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 687-395 (.635) 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.

Senior Day Saturday – Senior setter Ashley Green (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and senior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City) will be honored prior to Saturday’s final regular-season home contest. Green, who twice (2002-03) has attained first-team All-GLIAC accolades, presently ranks third on FSU’s career assists leaders list with 4,100 assists. A 2003 AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree, Fairbanks notched her 1,500th career kill against Northwood and currently ranks fifth on Ferris' all-time chart with 1,525 career kills.

Another Outstanding Season – Ferris' current 20-5 overall record this season represents the school's sixth 20-win campaign in the last seven seasons to date. The Bulldogs, who have recorded at least 20 victories in a season 17 times, are presently 152-64 (.704) overall since the start of the 1998 campaign. Ferris has won at least 10 matches in each of its last 24 campaigns dating back to 1981. The 1984 FSU squad won a NCAA-II record 46 consecutive matches en route to a school-best 48-3 overall mark.

Among The Best – FSU has won three consecutive matches to date this campaign versus nationally-ranked opponents following its victory over NU. Ferris State's current 25th-place tying national ranking marks the first time the Bulldogs have been ranked since spending seven weeks in the poll during the 2002 campaign.

Climbing The Ladder – Karla Fairbanks presently has 175 career service aces to date and moved into fourth place on FSU's all-time list versus NU. The 5-11 Fairbanks has posted 20 or more kills in 12 of her last 16 appearances this season to date. She is 152 digs away from becoming only the sixth player in school history to record both 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.

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 earlier this season against Hillsdale (Oct. 16). Brandel-Wilhelm, who has a current 303-114 (.727) career mark, is 185-94 (.670) 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.

Bulldog Bites – The Bulldogs have compiled a 58-9 (.866) overall record in three-game matches since the start of the 2000 campaign. FSU has currently posted a 30-7 (.812) mark in October matches dating back to 2001 ....... Ferris State improved to 42-8 (.840) all-time versus SVSU with Friday's triumph. FSU has won nine of the last 10 series' contests to date .... Sophomore outside hitter Danielle Baucher (Kalamazoo/Mattawan) garnered her 500th career kill versus NU and her 600th career dig at SVSU ......... Sophomore middle hitter Karla White (New Baltimore/Anchor Bay) netted a personal career-high 18 kills versus the Cardinals. She had a career-best 11 total blocks at Northwood ........ Junior setter/defensive specialist Emily Clouse (Tiffin, Ohio/Bascom Hopewell-Loudon) netted a personal career-high 59 assists at SVSU.

Home Edge – Ferris has compiled a 226-59 (.793) record to date in 24 seasons of action (1981-present) at Ewigleben Sports Arena. The Bulldogs are 68-12 (.850) in home matches since 1998, including a 9-2 (.818) mark this campaign. In 2002, Ferris posted an 8-0 home record, which was the program’s sixth undefeated campaign in the 600-seat facility. FSU was 6-2 at home last year.

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. The next regional rankings will be released this Wednesday (Nov. 3).

A Look At The Opponents:

Michigan Tech: Ferris and Michigan Tech will square off for the 52nd time this Thursday with FSU holding a 40-11 series advantage. In the last meeting (9/25/04), the Bulldogs recorded a 3-1 win at Houghton, Mich. FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm currently has a 14-4 career coaching record against the Huskies. FSU, which has won 13 of the past 14 contests, holds an 18-5 all-time record versus MTU in home matches. MTU compiled a 12-20 overall record in 2003, including a fifth-place 7-11 GLIAC North Division finish. The Huskies, who are coached by sixth-year head coach Krista Mikesch, improved to 10-18 overall and 7-9 in league play this season as a result of their 3-0 conference home win over Lake Superior State last Saturday (Oct. 30). MTU has lost six of its last eight outings this campaign to date.

Lake Superior State: FSU holds a 52-17 advantage entering this Friday’s 70th series meeting with Lake Superior State. Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 18-1 career coaching mark against LSSU and guided the Bulldogs to a 3-0 win in the last meeting (9/23/04) at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. LSSU, which has dropped eight of its last 10 matches this campaign to date, is presently 8-20 overall and 4-12 in conference play heading into Thursday’s (Nov. 4) league road contest at Grand Valley State after dropping a 3-0 GLIAC road decision at MTU last Saturday (Oct. 30). Last season, the Lakers compiled a 7-23 overall record and placed sixth (4-14) in the league’s North Division. The Bulldogs, who have won 32 of the last 33 meetings, are 27-4 all-time versus Lake Superior State in home encounters. LSSU is coached by 10th-year head coach Mark Engle.

Northern Michigan: FSU maintains a 35-34 series edge heading into this Saturday’s 70th series meeting against Northern Michigan. Brandel-Wilhelm, who has a current 6-13 career coaching mark against the Wildcats, dropped a 3-0 decision in the last series meeting (9/24/04) at Marquette, Mich. NMU is presently 20-4 overall and 12-4 in league action this season entering Friday’s (Nov. 5) conference road match at Grand Valley State after registering a 3-0 GLIAC home win over LSSU Friday (Oct. 29). Northern Michigan recorded a 26-1 overall record and a first-place 18-0 mark in the GLIAC’s North Division last season. The Wildcats are directed by Jim Moore, who is midst his second season in his second stint at NMU after previously guiding the Wildcats from 1989-93. NMU, which has won its last five outings to date this campaign, has claimed four of the last seven series’ victories to date. Ferris holds a 17-12 all-time advantage over the Wildcats in Big Rapids. The Wildcats are also GLIAC Tourney bound.