FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team will face Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament Champion Southern Indiana in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament Friday, Nov. 19, at Grand Valley State’s Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Mich. The match begins at 2:30 p.m. (EST).

Ticket Information – Tickets for the Great Lakes Regional Tournament will be available at the door or can be obtained by calling the Grand Valley State Athletics Ticket Office at (616) 331-8800. Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for students per session.

GLIAC Tourney Champs – FSU, which is presently 25-6 overall, claimed its first-ever Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament championship and the league’s automatic regional bid with a convincing 3-0 triumph over nationally-ranked Grand Valley State in this past Sunday’s (Nov. 14) title match at Allendale, Mich. FSU previously recorded a 3-1 semifinal round win over Ashland Saturday (Nov. 13) at GVSU following its 3-1 win versus Northern Michigan last Wednesday (Nov. 10) in quarterfinal round play at FSU’s Ewigleben Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.

The Regional Field – FSU is seeded second overall in the field behind host and top seed GVSU while USI is seeded seventh. Friday's other quarterfinal round matches include third-seeded Ashland against sixth-seeded Northwood at 12 p.m. (EST), fourth-seeded Hillsdale facing fifth-seeded Northern Michigan in a 5 p.m. match and GVSU hosting eighth-seeded Charleston (W.Va.) beginning at 7:30 p.m. The tournament semifinals will be held Saturday (Nov. 20) at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively, with the regional final set for Sunday (Nov. 21) at 5 p.m.

Regional Notebook – FSU will be making its 12th all-time NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance and first since 2002 ... The Bulldogs also played in the NCAA-II Tournament from 1982-87, 1989-90, 1992 and 1999 ... Ferris, which has posted a 7-12 overall mark in NCAA Tournament play to date, has advanced to the regional final seven times ... The Bulldogs claimed the regional championship and participated in the NCAA-II Elite Eight in both 1987 and 1989 ... In its last regional tournament contest (11/22/02), Ferris dropped a 3-2 quarterfinal round decision versus Wheeling Jesuit at Allendale, Mich. ... The winner of Sunday's regional championship match will advance to the 24th annual NCAA-II Elite Eight set to be held Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 2-4, at a campus site to be determined ... The national committee selected GVSU as the region’s host site despite FSU's shutout of the Lakers ... Three automatic and five at-large bids were be awarded in the region, which consists of the GLIAC, GLVC and West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences (WVIAC).

Nationally Ranked – The Bulldogs are ranked 16th in the latest (Nov. 16) CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II National Poll. Four other GLIAC member schools are also featured in the latest poll including 14th-ranked Grand Valley State, NMU (17th), Northwood (21st) and Ashland (25th). Ferris has won 12 of its last 13 outings to date this campaign.

GLIAC Tourney Notes – FSU, which made its seventh consecutive conference tournament appearance, previously had claimed runner-up honors in 1998, 1999 and 2001 ... In seven all-time conference tournament appearances, Ferris has posted a 9-6 overall mark to date ... FSU advanced to the 2001 GLIAC Tournament Championship match (11/10/01) for the third time in four years and dropped a 3-0 decision to Northwood at Kellogg Arena ... The 10th annual postseason tournament returned to campus sites this season following a one-year hiatus ... FSU had been eliminated in the quarterfinal round each of the last two seasons (2002-03).

The 32nd Season – The 2004 campaign marks the 32nd season of FSU women’s volleyball. Since the program’s inception in 1972, the Bulldogs have compiled a 692-396 (.636) overall record. Ferris has won eight GLIAC titles, made 11 NCAA-II Tournament appearances and registered 24 winning seasons in its previous 31 campaigns.

GLIAC Teams Announced – Senior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City) received All-GLIAC First Team accolades for the second consecutive season in an announcement made in conjunction with the 2004 GLIAC Tournament. Junior libero Brittny Godlewski (St. Clair Township/Marysville) and sophomore outside hitter Danielle Baucher (Kalamazoo/Mattawan) both attained second-team kudos while senior setter Ashley Green (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) was an honorable mention pick. Godlewski is the first libero player in GLIAC history to attain either first or second team all-conference honors.

GLIAC Tourney Team – FSU’s Ashley Green, Karla Fairbanks and junior middle hitter Lauren Heine (Ypsilanti) were named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team. In addition, Green was selected as the tourney’s Most Valuable Player after compiling 124 assists, 31 digs, 10 kills and eight blocks in Ferris' three league tournament matches. Green, who twice (2002-03) attained first-team All-GLIAC accolades, presently ranks third on FSU’s career assists leaders list with 4,365 career assists despite missing 10 consecutive matches during the month of October this season due to injury.

Bulldog Bites - The Bulldogs have compiled a 60-9 (.870) overall record in three-game matches since the start of the 2000 campaign .... Ferris State is 604-285 (.679) overall since 1981 and sports a 393-228 (.633) record in road/neutral site matches during that span. The Bulldogs are currently 8-2 (.800) away from home this season ..... Lauren Heine’s 14 block assists against Ashland (11/13) surpassed her personal career-high of 12 block assists recorded versus Northern Michigan (11/10) and ranks as the Bulldogs’ fifth-best individual single match outing in school history. She needs seven block assists to match Karen Volkers’ fifth-place FSU single-season mark of 138 set in 1988 ....... Danielle Baucher notched her 700th career dig against GVSU. Her 396 digs to date this season are the most recorded by a Bulldog player since Sherri (Maus) Harris netted 498 in 1998 ..... Brittny Godlewski currently has 948 career digs and is 52 away from becoming the 10th player in school history to record 1,000 career digs ........ Sophomore middle hitter Karla White (New Baltimore/Anchor Bay) compiled her 300th career kill versus GVSU .... Ferris’ 316 total blocks to date this season represents the school’s ninth-highest single season performance ....... Ferris posted a 7-4 (.636) mark this campaign versus teams involved in the regional tournament.

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 308-115 (.728) career mark, is 190-95 (.667) 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.

The Success Continues – Ferris' current 25-6 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 157-65 (.707) 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.

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 made their sixth-straight league tournament appearance in 2003.

Fairbanks Climbing Charts – A 2003 AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree, Karla Fairbanks currently ranks fifth on Ferris' all-time chart with 1,624 career kills. She is 18 kills shy of matching Karen Volkers’ (1987-90) fourth-place career mark of 1,642 kills at FSU. The 5-11 Fairbanks has posted 20 or more kills in 14 of her last 22 appearances this season to date and is three kills shy of tying her personal single-season high of 516 kills set last season. She is 67 digs away from becoming only the sixth player in school history to record both 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. In addition, Fairbanks presently has 183 career service aces and ranks fourth on FSU’s all-time list.

A Look At The Regional Field:

The Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles: Ferris State holds a 5-2 series edge entering this Friday’s meeting with Southern Indiana, but dropped a 3-2 decision to the Screaming Eagles in the most recent (9/12/03) meeting at the 2003 Great Lakes Region Crossover in Highland Heights, Ky. USI, which is presently 23-6 overall this season, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in school history after winning both the GLVC regular season and tournament titles this campaign. Southern Indiana knocked off Lewis (Ill.) before falling to Grand Valley State in its only trip to the NCAA-II Tournament in 2002. This year, the Eagles are 0-3 against the regional tournament field with losses to Hillsdale, Northwood and GVSU in the 2004 Great Lakes Region Crossover (Sept. 10-11) at Wheeling, W.Va. USI is directed by first-year head coach Molly Alvey. The Bulldogs hold a 4-2 all-time edge versus Southern Indiana in road/neutral site encounters while FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm is 2-2 to date versus the Screaming Eagles. USI was 21-9 overall in 2003.

The Ashland Eagles: The Bulldogs own an 11-1 series advantage over Ashland and recorded a 3-1 GLIAC Tournament semifinal round win over the Eagles last Saturday (Nov. 13) at Allendale, Mich. FSU also posted a 3-1 home win (Sept. 18) in the only regular-season meeting between the two teams this season at Big Rapids, Mich. AU tallied a 7-22 overall record and a sixth-place 3-14 GLIAC South Division mark in 2003. The Eagles, who are coached by second-year head coach Connie Surowicz, are currently 25-5 overall entering the regional quarterfinal round. Ashland had won its last nine contests this campaign prior to its GLIAC Tournament loss. The Bulldogs, who have won the last eight meetings, are currently 9-1 against the Eagles in the Tia Brandel-Wilhelm era and 6-1 all-time in road/neutral site encounters. AU compiled a first-place (14-3) GLIAC South Division mark this campaign after being chosen third in the GLIAC’s 2004 South Division Preseason Poll. The two teams have never met before in NCAA Tournament play.

The Grand Valley State Lakers: Ferris and Grand Valley State have met 83 times before with GVSU holding a 44-39 series advantage. In the last meeting (11/14/04), the Bulldogs recorded a 3-0 GLIAC Tournament Championship match win at Allendale, Mich. FSU also registered a 3-1 triumph (Oct. 21) in Allendale this season while the Lakers recorded a 3-1 win (Oct. 5) at Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm currently has a 7-12 career coaching record against Grand Valley State. GVSU, which has won nine of the last 14 series’ contests, holds a 28-25 all-time record versus FSU in Allendale. Grand Valley State compiled a 30-8 overall record in 2003, including a second-place 16-2 GLIAC North Division finish and a berth in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The Lakers, who are coached by 10th-year head coach Deanne Scanlon, are presently 26-6 overall this season. GVSU, which has won 21 of its last 24 matches this year to date, defeated the Bulldogs in both of last season’s contests. GVSU also recorded a 3-1 win over Ferris in the 1986 regional semifinal at Allendale, which marks the two schools’ only previous NCAA Tournament meeting.

The Northern Michigan Wildcats: FSU holds a 36-35 all-time series’ edge versus NMU. Ferris head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, who has a current 7-14 career coaching mark against the Wildcats, led the Bulldogs to a 3-1 GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal round triumph (Nov. 10) over NMU at Big Rapids, Mich. FSU previously dropped a 3-2 decision to NMU in its 2004 regular-season finale (Nov. 6) at Big Rapids. The Bulldogs also lost a 3-0 league contest earlier this season (9/24/04) at Marquette, Mich. NMU is presently 21-6 overall and placed third in the GLIAC’s North Division with a 13-5 mark in regular-season play. 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 six of its last eight outings to date this campaign, has claimed five of the last nine series’ victories versus FSU. Northern Michigan holds a 22-18 all-time advantage over the Bulldogs in road/neutral site matches. In addition, NMU posted a 3-0 win over Ferris in the 1992 NCAA regional final at Marquette, Mich.

The Hillsdale Chargers: FSU maintains a 45-9 all-time series’ edge against Hillsdale. The Bulldogs have won four of the last six meetings and posted a 3-0 decision in the most recent contest (10/16/04) at Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 11-2 career coaching mark against the Chargers. HC is presently 19-9 overall after its 3-2 GLIAC Tournament semifinal round loss to Grand Valley State last Saturday (Nov. 13). Last season, Hillsdale posted a 17-15 overall record and a third-place 9-8 mark in the GLIAC’s South Division. The Chargers, who have currently won five of their last eight outings this campaign, are directed by ninth-year head coach Chris Gravel. Ferris is presently 24-8 versus HC all-time in road/neutral site contests. The two teams have never faced each other before in NCAA Tournament play.

The Charleston (W.Va.) Golden Eagles: Ferris and Charleston (W.Va.) have met once before with FSU posting a 3-1 neutral site win (9/6/98) during the Tia Brandel-Wilhelm era at Kenosha, Wis. The Golden Eagles enter the tournament with a 31-6 overall record under 12th-year head coach Bren Stevens. Charleston posted a 27-13 overall record in 2003 and placed second in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Charleston, which has posted 11 consecutive 20-win campaigns, will be making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1999. The Golden Eagles claimed the 2004 WVIAC Tournament Championship after placing tied for second with a 16-2 league mark in regular-season play.

The Northwood Timberwolves: FSU maintains a 24-17 series’ advantage against Northwood and beat NU 3-1 in the last meeting (10/30/04) at Midland, Mich. The Timberwolves have won nine of the last 13 matchups and also posted a 3-1 regular-season win this campaign (Oct. 2) at Big Rapids, Mich. FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 8-14 career coaching mark against the Timberwolves. NU is presently 19-9 overall and placed fourth in the GLIAC’s North Division this campaign with an 11-7 overall record. Last season, Northwood posted a 18-13 overall record and a fourth-place 11-7 mark in the division. The Timberwolves, who have presently lost four of their last six outings this season, are directed by first-year head coach Tim Koth. Ferris is currently 12-10 versus NU all-time in road/neutral site tilts and has never met Northwood before in NCAA Tournament play.