FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team will host three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) opponents this week (Sept. 25-27) at FSU’s Ewigleben (pronounced A-VAH-glave-in) Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs will face Michigan Tech in their 2003 home opener this Thursday (Sept. 25) at 7 p.m. (EDT). FSU then squares off against Northern Michigan this Friday (Sept. 26) in a 7 p.m. (EDT) encounter. Ferris concludes its three-match homestand versus Lake Superior State Saturday (Sept. 27) at 4 p.m. (EDT).

A Look Back – The Bulldogs, who are presently 4-8 overall and 1-1 in league play, dropped a 3-1 conference-opening decision at Findlay last Friday (Sept. 19). FSU registered its first GLIAC win this campaign last Saturday (Sept. 20) with a 3-1 triumph at Ashland.

Last Season – Ferris State concluded its 30th anniversary campaign (2002) with a 24-7 overall record, which included a second-place tying 15-3 GLIAC North Division finish. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament (11/22) before dropping a 3-2 decision to Wheeling Jesuit in Allendale, Mich.

The 31st Season – The 2003 campaign marks the 31st season of Ferris State women’s volleyball. Since the program’s inception in 1972, the Bulldogs have compiled a 656-384 (.631) overall record. Ferris has won eight GLIAC titles, made 11 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and registered 23 winning seasons in its previous 30 campaigns.

Leading The Way – Junior setter Ashley Green (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin), junior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks (Rogers City) and sophomore libero/outside hitter Brittny Godlewski (St. Clair Township/Marysville) have been voted tri-captains for the 2003 campaign. Green was both a first-team All-GLIAC and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Great Lakes Region selection last season while Godlewski attained honorable mention All-GLIAC kudos. Fairbanks ranked second (3.73 kpg) among Ferris’ kills leaders in 2002.

Home Court Advantage – Ferris State is 211-55 (.793) at Ewigleben Sports Arena since 1981 and sports a 125-39 (.762) conference home mark during that span. The Bulldogs are 112-39 (.742) overall at home since 1990, which includes a 78-35 (.690) conference mark. FSU is 53-8 (.869) in home matches since 1998 and posted its sixth undefeated home campaign (8-0) in the 600-seat facility last season.

The Bulldog Volleyball Tradition – Ferris State posted its fifth consecutive 20-win campaign last season. The Bulldogs, who have recorded at least 20 victories in a season 16 times, are presently 121-53 (.695) 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.

First Home Match – Ferris State is 22-8 (.733) in home openers dating back to 1973, which includes a 10-3 mark since 1990. The Bulldogs are 7-3 in their last 10 outings and have won seven consecutive home openers.

Fairbanks Registers 800th Kill – Karla Fairbanks tallied 24 kills and a personal career-high 20 digs at Ashland while notching her 800th career kill. Fairbanks, who needs 199 kills to become the 13th player in school history to eclipse the 1,000 career kills mark, added 11 kills and nine digs at Findlay. The 2002 GLIAC All-Academic Team pick totaled 35 kills, 29 digs and four service aces in the two road outings. Fairbanks currently has registered 206 kills, 105 digs and 22 service aces in 12 matches to date this campaign. She also recorded her 400th career dig versus Ashland.

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 272-103 (.725) career mark, is 154-83 (.650) in eight seasons at Ferris and recorded her 150th Bulldog victory last season at Saginaw Valley State (11/8). 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, entered the 2003 season ranked 13th among NCAA-II’s winningest active coaches.

Looking Ahead – Ferris State visits Saginaw Valley State Friday, Oct. 3, for a 7 p.m. (EDT) league tilt at University Center, Mich. FSU will then face Northwood Saturday, Oct. 4, in a 4 p.m. (EDT) conference encounter at Midland, Mich.

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 - Six of FSU's eight losses this season have came against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the latest (Sept. 16) AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll ......... Ashley Green has 2,808 career assists to date and moved past Lisa Chard (2,780; 1998-99) into fifth place on the school's career assists leaders list versus Ashland. She is 194 away from tying Dawn Lowe (3,002; 1984-87) for fourth place .......... Freshman outside hitter Danielle Baucher (Kalamazoo/Mattawan) registered her 100th career kill at Findlay. She has totaled 10 or more kills in four of her last eight matches to date ......... Sophomore middle hitters Becky Thurau (Troy/Birmingham Groves) and Lauren Heine (Ypsilanti) have both registered more kills through 12 matches than they compiled during the entire 2002 campaign. Thurau, who is three kills shy of garnering her 200th career kill, presently has 109 kills this campaign compared to last season's 88-kill effort in 22 outings. Heine has notched 79 kills this campaign after totaling only 22 kills in 14 matches last year. She tallied her 100th career kill versus Ashland .......... Sophomore libero/outside hitter Brittny Godlewski (St. Clair Township/Marysville) attained her 350th career dig at Findlay ...... Ferris has currently won 12 of its last 13 home matches dating back to the 2001 campaign ...... Karla Fairbanks’ 35-kill output against North Alabama (Sept. 5) currently ranks as the nation’s second-best performance this campaign. She is listed 18th in kills (4.62 kpg) in the latest (Sept. 14) NCAA Division II national statistical rankings while Ferris ranked 27th in team service aces (2.81 apg). Fairbanks has registered at least one kill in all 74 career matches she’s played to date.

A Look At The Opponents:

Michigan Tech: Ferris and Michigan Tech will square off for the 49th time this Thursday with FSU holding a 37-11 series advantage. In the last meeting (10/25/02), the Bulldogs recorded a 3-1 win at Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm currently has a 11-4 career coaching record against the Huskies. FSU, which has won 10 of the past 11 contests, holds a 17-5 all-time record versus MTU in Big Rapids. MTU compiled a 12-18 overall record in 2002, including a fifth-place 7-11 GLIAC North Division finish. The Huskies, who are coached by fifth-year head coach Krista Mikesch, improved to 5-9 overall and 1-2 in league play this season as a result of their 3-0 conference home win last Saturday (Sept. 20) versus Saginaw Valley State. MTU, which has dropped three of its last four outings to date, is slated to visit Lake Superior State this Tuesday (Sept. 23) prior to heading to Big Rapids.

Northern Michigan: FSU maintains a 35-31 series edge heading into this Friday’s 67th series meeting against Northern Michigan. The Bulldogs have won 17 of 28 meetings in Big Rapids. Brandel-Wilhelm, who has a current 6-10 career coaching mark against the Wildcats, led Ferris to a 3-1 victory in the last series meeting (10/27/02) at Big Rapids. NMU is presently 8-0 overall and 3-0 in league action this season after registering a 3-1 home win over Saginaw Valley State last Sunday (Sept. 21). Last season, Northern Michigan compiled a 15-15 overall record and a fourth-place 9-9 mark in the GLIAC’s North Division. The Wildcats are coached by Jim Moore, who is midst his first season in his second stint at NMU after previously guiding the Wildcats from 1989-93. Ferris is presently 3-1 versus Northern Michigan in the last four meetings.

Lake Superior State: FSU holds a 49-17 advantage entering this Saturday’s 67th series meeting with Lake Superior State. Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 15-1 career coaching mark against LSSU and guided the Bulldogs to a 3-0 win in the last meeting (10/26/02) at Big Rapids, Mich. LSSU, which will host Michigan Tech this Tuesday (Sept. 23) and visit Grand Valley State this Friday (Sept. 26), is presently 4-9 overall and 1-0 in conference play this campaign after posting a 3-0 GLIAC home win versus Saginaw Valley State last Friday (Sept. 19). Last season, the Lakers compiled a 13-16 overall record and placed sixth (6-12) in the league’s North Division. The Bulldogs, who have won 29 of the last 30 meetings, are 26-4 all-time versus Lake Superior State at Big Rapids. LSSU, which is coached by ninth-year head coach Mark Engle, has won three of its last four matches to date.