FSU Volleyball At A Glance - The Ferris State University women’s volleyball team will travel to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) matches this weekend (Nov. 6-8). FSU will square off against Lake Superior State this Thursday (Nov. 6) in a 7 p.m. (EST) encounter at LSSU’s Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. FSU will then visit Michigan Tech Friday (Nov. 7) for a 5 p.m. (EST) tilt in MTU’s Student Development Complex Gymnasium at Houghton, Mich. The Bulldogs conclude the regular season Saturday (Nov. 8) with a 4 p.m. (EST) match against Northern Michigan at NMU’s Vandament Arena in Marquette, Mich.

A Look Back – The Bulldogs, who are presently 13-12 overall and 10-5 in league play, defeated Saginaw Valley State 3-0 in league action last Friday (Oct. 31) at FSU’s Ewigleben (pronounced A-VAH-glave-in) Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris then beat league rival Northwood 3-2 in its 2003 home finale last Saturday (Nov. 1). The Bulldogs have won 10 of their last 14 matches to date and are presently third overall in the GLIAC’s North Division standings.

Ferris Clinches Berth – Ferris has clinched a spot in the 2003 GLIAC Tournament, which returns to the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Mich., this season following a one-year hiatus. The top three teams in each division plus the next two best overall teams qualify for the Nov. 13-15 event. FSU, which is assured of at least an at-large berth entering the final weekend of league play, has reached the conference tournament six consecutive seasons to date.

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 665-388 (.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.

Bulldog Captains – 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.

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 130-57 (.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.

Fairbanks Surpasses Mark – Karla Fairbanks, who is FSU’s leader in both kills (4.34 kpg) and digs (2.88 dpg) this season, became the 13th player in school history to eclipse the 1,000 career kills mark versus SVSU. The 5-11 Fairbanks is the fifth Bulldog player to reach the century mark in the last five seasons following Alaina Olds (2002), Erin Minnis (2001), Sarah VanderMolen (2000) and Morgan Buckner (1999). A 2002 GLIAC All-Academic Team pick, Fairbanks is currently three blocks away from posting her 200th career block and 12 digs shy of her 600th career dig.

Green Nearing Third Place – Ashley Green presently has 3,354 career assists and is 89 away from tying Melissa Petty (3,443; 1991-94) for third place on the school's all-time list. The 5-9 Green, who totaled 1,348 assists in 2002, currently has 1,041 assists this campaign. She attained her 200th career kill against SVSU.

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 281-107 (.724) career mark, is 163-87 (.652) 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 - The Bulldogs have presently won 14 of their last 16 home matches dating back to the start of the 2002 campaign ......... Karla Fairbanks has recorded 10 kills or more in 16 of her last 17 outings to date .......... Freshman middle hitter Molly Pickvet (Pinconning) compiled her 100th career kill versus SVSU while freshman outside hitter Danielle Baucher (Kalamazoo/Mattawan) registered her 200th career kill in the same match. Baucher has garnered 10 or more digs in 10 of her last 12 contests to date ......... Sophomore middle hitter Becky Thurau (Troy/Birmingham Groves) notched her 300th career kill against the Cardinals. Her 17 kills versus Northwood matched her personal career-best set earlier this season (9/6) against Wheeling Jesuit (W.Va.) ........... Ferris State’s current 242.5 total blocks this campaign represents the school’s seventh-best single-season total to date. FSU needs five more to match the sixth-place mark of 247.5 blocks set in 2002 ......... Freshman defensive specialist Jamie Palazzolo (Emmett/Yale) garnered a personal career-high 14 digs versus Northwood ..... Ferris has won three consecutive five-game matches after dropping its initial five this campaign.

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. (EST) on Northern Michigan’s 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:

Lake Superior State: FSU holds a 50-17 advantage entering this Thursday’s 68th series meeting with Lake Superior State. FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm has a current 16-1 career coaching mark against LSSU and guided the Bulldogs to a 3-1 win in the last meeting (10/27/03) at Big Rapids, Mich. LSSU, which has dropped four of its last five matches to date, is presently 7-21 overall and 4-12 in conference play this campaign after losing a 3-0 GLIAC road decision at Northern Michigan last Saturday (Nov. 1). 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 30 of the last 31 meetings, are 23-13 all-time versus Lake Superior State in road/neutral site encounters. LSSU is coached by ninth-year head coach Mark Engle.

Michigan Tech: Ferris and Michigan Tech will square off for the 50th time this Friday with FSU holding a 38-11 series advantage. In the last meeting (9/25/03), the Bulldogs recorded a 3-0 win at Big Rapids. Brandel-Wilhelm currently has a 12-4 career coaching record against the Huskies. FSU, which has won 11 of the past 12 contests, holds a 20-6 all-time record versus MTU in road/neutral site matches. 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 12-17 overall and 7-9 in league play this season as a result of their 3-0 conference home win last Friday (Oct. 31) versus Lake Superior State. MTU, which has won three of its last five outings to date, has also clinched a spot in the league’s postseason tournament.

Northern Michigan: FSU maintains a 35-32 series edge heading into this Saturday’s 68th series meeting against Northern Michigan. However, the Bulldogs have lost 20 of 38 road/neutral site meetings versus NMU. Brandel-Wilhelm, who has a current 6-11 career coaching mark against the Wildcats, dropped a 3-2 decision in the last series meeting (9/26/03) at Big Rapids. NMU is presently 21-0 overall and 16-0 in league action this season after registering a 3-0 GLIAC home win over LSSU last Saturday (Nov. 1). 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 directed by Jim Moore, who is midst his first season in his second stint after previously guiding the Wildcats from 1989-93. NMU, which has lost three of the last five series’ meetings, is ranked 16th in the latest (Oct. 28) AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Wildcats are also GLIAC Tourney bound.