The Ferris State Volleyball team is back to its winning ways as the Bulldogs went 2-0 over the weekend with the help of some great play from a true freshman.
The entire team is playing well together, but one player is capturing the attention of Bulldog fans as well as opponents. Freshman outside hitter Allyson Cappel has made a splash in her debut season with Ferris thus far and shows no sign of letting up.
“Allyson has earned a big role as a freshman,” Head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm said. “She put a lot of work in over the summer as well as during her high school career. She is a determined competitor and handles all competition with great poise.”
Determined is an understatement of how Cappel has performed through her first 16 matches of the season. To this point, Cappel leads the FSU volleyball team in kills (191), points (224) and is second in total blocks (36).
“Allyson is pretty talented,” Ferris junior outside hitter Ayanna Buckley said. “Her position is essential to the team, so it’s important for her to be a smart player and for us as a team to continue to grind out wins.”
Cappel is a young player and has the potential to develop into a great player for Ferris. In fact, she’s already being viewed as such after recently being awarded GLIAC player of the week. Being in the spotlight can inflate the ego of some players but it seems Cappel is remaining humble.
“It’s really exciting to be recognized, but I go into every match focused on winning no matter what,” Cappel said. “Any award I receive is because of the support my coaches, parents and teammates provide me with.”
The Bulldogs, who are in the midst of a seven-game win streak, will need to continue to compete in every match if they hope to repeat the success they had last year.
The journey toward success for the Bulldogs will continue Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8, as the volleyball team will take on conference opponents Ashland and Tiffin at the Ewigleben Sports Complex in Big Rapids.