After 34 straight games without a loss, including two NCAA tournament wins, Bulldog volleyball suffered their first and only defeat of the season against Bentley in the Elite Eight.
Ferris earned its first Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA DII Playoff Tournament for the first time since 2013 but failed to advance with their first loss of the year. The loss puts an end to the Bulldogs’ once-perfect season.
The Bulldogs fell behind early in the first set, trailing 10-5. Ferris battled back to take a 19-18 lead later on, courtesy of five kills from National Player of the Year Olivia Henneman-Dallape. However, Bentley finished off the set with a 25-23 advantage as the Bulldogs dropped the first.
Ferris jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the second frame and never wavered as they tied the match at one with a 25-16 victory.
Taking a 15-7 advantage in the third set, the Bulldogs looked to cruise to a 2-1 set lead, but the Falcons stuck around and tied the score at 19. Ferris continued to battle but fell 25-22, pushing them to the brink of elimination for the second straight game.
The Bulldogs came out firing and controlled a 16-6 lead in the fourth set before tying the game at two sets each with a 25-12 win. Ferris tallied eight of its 12 total aces in the set.
The fifth and final set saw the Bulldogs jump out to a 10-7 lead, but Bentley took over and finished off the match with a 15-13 win.
Second-team All-American setter Kaylee Maat tallied 42 assists in the match. Four different Bulldogs earned double-digit kills during the game, but Henneman-Dallape led all scorers with 19 total.
Despite the loss, Ferris captured its fourth straight GLIAC championship and earned its first-ever perfect regular season record in school history (28-0). Head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm was named National Coach of the Year alongside outside hitter Claire Nowicki who landed an All-American honorable mention.
With the season’s conclusion, Ferris now looks towards the offseason. The Bulldog roster consists of eight seniors, including Maat, Henneman-Dallape, Nowicki, middle hitter Chelsie Freeman and more.