After securing their seventh regular-season GLIAC championship in the last 10 seasons, and 19th in program history, Ferris volleyball looks ahead to the GLIAC tournament to secure a bid to the Midwest Regional for the second year in a row.
The No.20-ranked Bulldogs (22-6, 13-3 in GLIAC) will face off against the Purdue Northwest Lions (13-12, 7-9 in GLIAC) in a rematch of last year’s first round of the GLIAC tournament, in which the Bulldogs beat the Lions 3-0.
The Bulldogs ended their season with a weekend sweep of Roosevelt and Wisconsin-Parkside, where the Bulldogs won both matches by a score of 3-0. The first matchup against Roosevelt saw the duo, sophomore outside hitters Gabby Piazza and Emily May, co-lead the team in kills with 10 each. May had a kill percentage of .833, and Piazza had a .381. Sophomore setter Hayley Wegener led the team in assists with 25.
In the second match of the weekend, the Bulldogs took on Wisconsin-Parkside. In this match, Piazza led the team in kills again, this time with 12 and having a .391 kill percentage. With senior outside hitter Emma Bleecher having eight kills of her own on a .316 kill percentage, Wegener leading the team in assists again, this time with 30.
Graduate outside hitter Tatum Outlaw gave her thoughts on the Bulldogs’ second consecutive regular-season GLIAC championship.
“To be regular-season conference champions is definitely so rewarding for this team, knowing what we have gone through going back to January,” Outlaw said. “We’ve worked so hard to be an elite program in the post-season, and now that we are here, we are filled with gratitude to be in this position and to have the privilege to battle through these tough matches we have coming up.”
Ferris has matched up against Purdue Northwest only a couple of weeks ago on Oct. 25, where they took down the Lions by a score of 3-0, with Piazza leading the team in kills with 17 on a kill percentage of .375.
The Bulldogs have a strong history against the Lions. In 14 matches against the Lions, Ferris has won every match, with Purdue Northwest only winning three total sets in those 14 matches, going back to 2017. The only close match coming in 2023 was when the Lions narrowly lost to the Bulldogs 3-2.
This does not mean it will be an easy match for the Bulldogs, as the Lions have one of the better players in the GLIAC in senior opposite hitter Arra Cottrell. He has 322 total points on the season, which is good for eighth in the GLIAC, while having 257 kills, which is also good for tenth in the GLIAC. Cottrell isn’t the only one on the team who can produce for the Lions; junior outside hitter Anika Huelskamp has 281 total points on 235 kills on the season, which is good for a .186 kill percentage.
May knows the Lions are a tough squad but believes their game plan will put them in position to win.
“Our focus is on controlling our side of the net,” May said. “Purdue Northwest is a strong team, and we’re going to work to put pressure on them from the service line, as well as establish our offense early in the match.”
The Bulldogs are led by Piazza, who has 408 total points on the season, with 364 kills, both of which are good for second in the GLIAC. Another standout player for the Bulldogs is redshirt freshman libero Hope Davies, who has 359 digs on the season, which is good for seventh in the division.
The No.20-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs look to take on the Purdue Northwest Lions on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. at Ewigleben Sports Arena.