FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team hits the road for a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) match versus rival Grand Valley State this Tuesday (Oct. 7) at GVSU’s Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Mich. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m. (EDT). FSU will then host Gannon this Friday (Oct. 10) for a 5 p.m. (EDT) conference encounter in FSU’s Ewigleben Sports Arena at Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs square off against Mercyhurst Saturday (Oct. 11) in a 4 p.m. (EDT) home league tilt.

A Look Back – The Bulldogs, who are presently 8-9 overall and 5-2 in league play, won back-to-back conference road matches last weekend (Oct. 3-4). FSU defeated Saginaw Valley State 3-0 last Friday (Oct. 3) in SVSU’s Cardinal Gymnasium at University Center, Mich. Ferris then recorded a 3-1 triumph Saturday (Oct. 4) over Northwood at NU’s Bennett Sports Center in Midland, Mich. The Bulldogs have won five of their last six matches to date and are presently third in the GLIAC’s North Division standings.

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 also advanced to the 2002 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament.

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 660-385 (.632) 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.

On The Road Again – Ferris State is 572-274 (.676) overall since 1981 and sports a 377-221 (.630) record in road/neutral site matches during that span. The Bulldogs are 86-56 (.606) overall in league road matches since 1987, including a 3-1 (.750) mark this season.

Home Court Advantage – Ferris is 213-56 (.792) at Ewigleben Sports Arena since 1981 and sports a 127-40 (.760) conference home mark during that span. The Bulldogs are 114-40 (.740) overall at home since 1990, which includes a 80-36 (.690) conference mark. FSU is 55-9 (.859) 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 125-54 (.698) 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.

Green Nets 3,000th Assist – Ashley Green moved into fourth place on the school's all-time career assists leaders list as she notched her 3,000th career assist at Northwood. Green presently has 3,016 career assists to date and is 427 away from tying Melissa Petty (3,443; 1991-94) for third place on the school's all-time list. The 5-9 Green needs 17 kills to attain her 200th career kill.

Fairbanks Earns Honor – Karla Fairbanks totaled 30 kills, 19 digs and five blocks in Ferris' two matches last weekend to earn this week’s (Oct. 6) GLIAC North Division Player of the Week Award for the second time this campaign. The 5-11 Fairbanks, who previously claimed the honor Sept. 8, tallied a team-high 20 kills and 15 digs at Northwood along with 10 kills at SVSU. Fairbanks, who averaged 4.29 kills per game in the two outings, needs 119 kills to become the 13th player in school history to eclipse the 1,000 career kills mark. She is 10 service aces shy of garnering her 100th career ace.

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 276-104 (.726) career mark, is 158-84 (.653) 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.

Bulldog Bites - Eight of FSU's nine losses this season have occurred against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the latest (Sept. 30) AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll ......... Brittny Godlewski registered her 400th career dig at Saginaw Valley State while sophomore setter Emily Clouse (Tiffin, Ohio/Bascom Hopewell-Loudon) recorded her 100th career dig against Northwood ........... FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm notched her 275th career coaching victory at Saginaw Valley State ....... Ferris' victory at Northwood represented the Bulldogs' first win in Midland since defeating the Timberwolves 3-2 in 1998 (9/18) .......... Since the 2001 campaign, Ferris State has compiled a 19-2 (.905) overall record to date during the month of October. FSU, which is currently 2-0 in October this campaign, posted a 10-1 (.909) October mark last season ...... The Bulldogs have presently won 10 of their last 11 home matches and 20 of their last 25 GLIAC regular-season encounters dating back to the start of the 2002 campaign ...... Karla Fairbanks has recorded 10 kills or more in nine consecutive outings to date.

Looking Ahead – Ferris State visits Wayne State Friday, Oct. 17, for a 7 p.m. (EDT) league tilt at Detroit, Mich. FSU will then square off against Hillsdale in GLIAC action Saturday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m. (EDT) in Hillsdale, Mich.

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 Phill Mooney and produced by FSU’s media productions department, airs each Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) on WFQX-Fox 33.

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.

A Look At The Opponents:

Grand Valley State: Ferris and Grand Valley State will square off for the 79th time this Tuesday with GVSU holding a 41-37 series advantage. In the last meeting (11/1/02), the Lakers recorded a 3-0 win at Allendale, Mich. Ferris head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm currently has a 5-9 career coaching record against Grand Valley State. GVSU, which has won six of the last nine series contests, holds a 27-23 all-time record versus FSU in Allendale. Grand Valley State compiled a 32-3 overall record in 2002, including a first-place 17-1 GLIAC North Division finish and a berth in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The Lakers, who are coached by ninth-year head coach Deanne Scanlon, improved to 14-5 overall and 6-1 in league play this season as a result of a 3-1 conference win at Saginaw Valley State last Saturday (Oct. 4). GVSU, which has won four of its last five matches to date, is ranked 20th in the latest (Sept. 30) AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll.

Gannon: FSU maintains a 7-5 series edge heading into this Friday’s 13th series meeting against Gannon. However, the Knights have won three of the last five series outings including a 3-2 GLIAC Tournament win in the last meeting (11/14/02) at Allendale, Mich. Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 6-3 career coaching mark against the Knights. GU is presently 16-2 overall and 6-2 in league action this season after registering a 3-0 conference home win over Lake Superior State last Sunday (Oct. 5). Last season, Gannon posted a 16-11 overall record and a third-place 10-7 mark in the GLIAC’s South Division. The Knights, who have currently dropped two of their last five outings, are coached by fifth-year head coach Michele Mason. Ferris is presently 3-2 versus GU all-time in home contests.

Mercyhurst: FSU holds a 9-1 advantage entering this Saturday’s contest with Mercyhurst although the Lakers claimed a 3-1 win in the last meeting (10/12/02) at Erie, Pa. Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 8-1 career coaching mark against MC. Mercyhurst, which will visit Grand Valley State this Friday (Oct. 10), is presently 14-8 overall and 3-5 in conference play this campaign after dropping a 3-1 home league decision to Michigan Tech last Sunday (Oct. 5). Last season, the Lakers compiled a 21-8 overall record and placed second (13-4) in the league’s South Division. The Bulldogs are 4-0 all-time versus Mercyhurst at Big Rapids. MC, which is coached by fifth-year head coach Melissa Soboleski, has lost three of its last four matches to date.