FERRIS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL DUO EARNS ALL-REGION KUDOS

Karla Fairbanks & Ashley Green Among AVCA All-Great Lakes Region Selections

Junior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks was named to the AVCA Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team

Junior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City) of the 2003 Ferris State University women’s volleyball team has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team in an announcement made by the AVCA.

Fairbanks, who became the 11th player in the eight-year tenure of FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm to earn first-team all-region recognition, was among 12 individuals garnering first-team accolades. Six other players received honorable mention laurels, including FSU junior setter Ashley Green (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin). By attaining first-team all-region honors, Fairbanks is now eligible for AVCA Division II All-America consideration.

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 and presently ranks 12th among the school's all-time leaders with 1,111 career kills. The 5-11 Fairbanks recorded 26 double-figure kill outings and totaled 17 double-double (kills & digs) performances this campaign while earning first-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) accolades. She claimed GLIAC North Division Player of the Week kudos twice (9/8 & 10/5) this campaign and finished the season ranked third in kills (4.57 kpg) and fourth in service aces (0.51 apg) among the league’s leaders. The 2002 GLIAC All-Academic Team pick also garnered a personal career-high 35 kills versus North Alabama (9/5) en route to receiving all-tournament team recognition at the Grand Valley State Days Inn Classic (Sept. 5-6) in Allendale, Mich.

A 2002 AVCA Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team honoree, Green led Ferris for the third consecutive season with 1,215 assists this season. She also moved into third place on the school's all-time list and currently has 3,528 career assists. The 2003 FSU Co-Most Valuable Player Award winner notched 50 or more assists in nine outings this season while claiming first-team All-GLIAC recognition for the second-straight campaign. A 2003 team tri-captain, Green compiled the league’s fifth-best (10.75 apg) assists figure this year.

Ferris State concluded the 2003 campaign with a 15-14 overall mark, which represented the program's sixth-consecutive winning campaign and included a third-place 12-6 GLIAC North Division mark. FSU also registered its sixth-straight league tournament appearance in 2003.