With four matches left in the regular season, the Ferris State volleyball team heads to the Upper Peninsula for a doubleheader against the Northern Michigan Wildcats and the Michigan Tech Huskies.
The No.15-ranked Ferris State (19-5, 10-2 in GLIAC) is coming off a split weekend with a 3-0 win at Wayne State before going to Grand Valley and losing 3-2 to the Lakers. In the loss to the Lakers, sophomore outside hitter Gabby Piazza led the team with 16 kills, with fellow sophomore outside hitter Emily May right behind her with 11 kills in the match.
Senior outside hitter Emma Bleecher believes every match is an opportunity to get better.
“As we continue our GLIAC slate in November, our team is super fired up to face off against our next opponents,” Bleecher said. “We say it a lot, but we view each game as a new opportunity to grow and learn as a team. Each game these next few weeks, and really for the rest of our season, will be a new challenge where we have to adapt in certain ways in order to win. We love to be competitors and get better every single day, whether that’s practice or a game, and that will not change now that it’s November. Now more than ever, we’re going to come together as a team and face each game together as a unit.”
In the 24 matches this season, the Bulldogs are averaging 13.66 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .243%. The team is also averaging 11.86 assists per set and 2.12 blocks per set. Piazza leads the team with 310 kills, with 3.73 kills per set.
May is second on the team with 265 kills and 3.19 kills per set. Sophomore setter Hayley Wegener is far and away the leader in assists with 818 assists, with 9.86 assists per set. Wegener also leads the team with 280 digs and 3.37 digs per set. Senior outside hitter Logyn Geren leads the Bulldogs in blocks with 53 total blocks.
Geren is really excited for the last four matches of the regular season.
“The team and I are really excited for the upcoming GLIAC games in the next few weeks as the regular season is ending,” Geren said. “At this stage in the season, every match is important, and we know we’ll be facing some very strong teams. Every team is playing their best volleyball at this point of the season. Our group has been working hard to stay consistent and continue getting 1 percent better each day. We’re looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to compete at a high level as we move into November.”
Northern Michigan (11-13, 8-4 in GLIAC) is coming off a split weekend, with a 3-1 win at Roosevelt on Halloween and a 0-3 loss at Parkside. The Wildcats are averaging 12.0 kills per set and 11.2 assists per set. Defensively, the Wildcats average 15.5 digs per set and 1.7 blocks per set. In the 24 matches played, senior middle blocker McKenzie Gruner leads the team with 268 kills and 3.05 kills per set. Junior setter Allie Barlow leads the team with 847 assists and 9.63 assists per set. The Wildcats will play in Big Rapids against the Bulldogs before playing at Davenport.
Michigan Tech (9-14, 6-6 in GLIAC) is also coming off a split weekend, playing the two teams that the Wildcats played, just on different days. The Huskies lost 0-3 on Halloween to Parkside before winning 3-0 the next day against Roosevelt. Michigan Tech averages 12.8 kills per set and 11.9 assists per set. Defensively, the Huskies average 14.9 digs per set and 2.0 blocks per set.
In the 23 matches played so far, junior right side hitter Rachel Zurek leads the team with 242 kills, and she’s second on the team with 3.06 kills per set behind junior outside hitter Jacqeline Yancy’s 3.07 kills per set. Freshman setter Madelynn Krieder leads the team with 438 sets, with junior setter Tess Hayes leading with 8.15 assists per set. Defensively, senior libero Julia Fledderjohn leads the Huskies with 342 digs and 4.17 digs per set.
Ferris State will play Northern Michigan on Friday, Nov. 7, in Marquette before playing Michigan Tech on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Houghton.