In the final match of the regular season, the Bulldogs will head to Detroit to take on the Wayne State Warriors in the last match before the GLIAC championships.
Overall, the Ferris State men’s team is 23-8 against the Warriors, including a 3-2 record in the last five matchups on the men’s side. On the women’s side, Wayne State has Ferris’ number with an 18-10 record, including winning the last four head-to-head matchups.
Head coach Mark Doren highlighted the keys to winning the tough matches at Wayne State.
“The keys to next weekend‘s matches are believing that all the hard work and all the hard matches we’ve played this year have prepared us to take on a good team like Wayne State,” Doren said. “Both the men and women are highly talented and have become a great rivalry for us. The second key will be the doubles point. Playing on the road in Detroit is important to get off to a good start and win the doubles.”
Women
Ferris State (11-6, 6-1 in GLIAC) is 6-1 in their last seven matches heading into the matchup against Wayne State, capturing wins in five straight conference matchups. However, the Bulldogs have failed to defeat the Warriors since the 2020-21 season, where they won 6-1. Since then, their closest match was a 5-2 loss in the 2022-23 season. Ferris heads into the final match of the season tied for second place in the conference with rival Grand Valley.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (10-3, 7-0 in GLIAC) are on an eight-match winning streak dating back to mid-March. In that timeframe, Wayne State has three 7-0 wins against Davenport, Roosevelt and Purdue Northwest. Sitting first in the conference, Wayne State looks to stay at the top of the leaderboard heading into the GLIAC tournament.
Sophomore Katherine Earnest says staying tough is one of the keys to winning against Wayne State.
“I think some of the keys to success are great teamwork, communication, and the belief that we can and will win,” Earnest said. “We also need to make sure we stay mentally tough even in the face of adversity.”
Men
The Bulldogs (11-6, 5-1 in GLIAC) are 5-1 since coming back from their spring break trip in Florida. Ferris State is 4-2 against Wayne State since the 2020-21 season, and the Bulldogs have won the last two matchups, both wins were by a 4-3 final. Heading into the regular-season finale, Ferris sits second in the conference behind Grand Valley, who is undefeated in GLIAC play.
Wayne State (13-6, 4-2 in GLIAC) is 5-2 since their 0-4 loss against Flagler College in early March and has won three of their last four. Three out of their four wins in that timeframe came from a 6-1 score, while the fourth win was by a 5-2 score against Lake Superior State. The Warriors sit third in the GLIAC, just one game behind the Bulldogs, and threaten to tie the rankings before the conference tournament.
Freshman Adrian Catahan says the team dynamic will play a factor in this match.
“It’s the team chemistry we have that will lead us to victory, which has been awesome this year,” Catahan said. “We’re going into this like another match, and with confidence that we can beat these guys. Wayne State lost to Purdue Northwest, who we beat, so that gives us confidence going into the match.”
Ferris State will head to the Doris J. & Donald L. Duchene, Sr. Athletic Facility in Detroit, MI to face the Wayne State Warriors on Friday, April 18. The women will start at 10 a.m. and the men start at 2 p.m. in the final match of the regular season.