Ferris garners automatic NCAA-II regional bid: Fairbanks helps the Bulldogs to their first conferenc
The Ferris State women’s volleyball team claimed the 2004 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Championship Sunday with a 3-0 shutout over archrival Grand Valley State Sunday at GVSU’s Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale.
The Bulldogs, who were ranked 20th in the latest CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II National Poll, knocked off the 14th-ranked Lakers for the second time this campaign with a convincing 30-27, 30-24 and 30-16 triumph in front of 625 fans. The tournament championship was the first for the Bulldogs in the league’s 10th annual postseason event. Ferris, which previously had claimed tournament runner-up accolades on three different occasions, received the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament, which will be Friday through Sunday at GVSU.
The Bulldogs will face seventh-seeded Southern Indiana in Friday’s quarterfinal round at 2:30 p.m. The Bulldogs, who improved to 25-6 overall this campaign, won their 12th contest in the last 13 tries by compiling 52 kills and allowing only 33 Laker kills. Senior outside hitter Karla Fairbanks, former RCHS standout, totaled 11 kills and 14 digs for FSU while sophomore middle hitter Karla White netted 10 kills.
Senior setter Ashley Green registered 44 assists along with eight digs for the Bulldogs. Sophomore outside hitter Danielle Baucher led the Bulldogs with 17 kills and 15 digs.