Ferris State Football & Volleyball Combine For League-Best Four GLIAC Commissioner's Award Recipients

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University football and volleyball programs not only experienced success on the field by winning Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships in the fall, but the two teams also combined to help the Bulldogs tally the most GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipients of any school in the league.

The conference office unveiled its fall 2014 GLIAC Commissioner's Award winners and four Ferris State student-athletes received the prestigious distinction. The annual awards are presented to only six deserving female and male student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and on the fields of play and are sponsored by Meijer, Inc.

Ferris State's four honorees included junior libero Danielle Dowd and junior hitter Alexis Huntey from the Bulldog volleyball program along with junior quarterback Jason Vander Laan and junior defensive end Justin Zimmer from the FSU football team. 

Overall, the Bulldogs received one-third of the league's Commissioner's Award recipients for the fall season and the four honorees were the most of any insitution in the conference. Additionally, all four FSU honorees are only juniors and eligible to return next fall.

The six female student-athletes recipients included: FSU's Dowd and Huntey along with Makenzie Frodle (Saginaw Valley), Jessica Janecke (Grand Valley State), Jordan Mazzi (Ohio Dominican) and Andrea Strauss (Grand Valley State).

The six male honrees were: Ferris State's Vander Laan and Zimmer in addition to Jeremy Ashley (Tiffin), Michael Fisher (Northwood), Mark Miller (Ohio Dominican) and Alan Peterson (Grand Valley State).

Both the Ferris State football and volleyball programs won GLIAC Regular-Season Championships during the fall campaign. Together, they also combined to post a 27-1 mark against the GLIAC in regular-season competition.

Below is more information about each of FSU's four honorees:

Danielle Dowd - Junior, Libero

Dowd helped lead the Bulldogs to a share of the GLIAC Regular-Season Championship, the school's second-ever GLIAC Tournament title and the program's fourth-straight NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinal appearance. Dowd is a Nursing (B.S.N.) major. 

This past year, Dowd paced the Bulldogs as the squad's libero for the first time with 437 digs on the year. She tallied 10 digs or more in 24 of FSU's 30 outings, including a personal career-high 31 digs earlier this year at rival Grand Valley State (Sept. 23). Overall, she averaged a squad-best 4.28 digs per set and added 33 assists and 21 service aces in 102 total sets while earning team Most Improved Player Award accolades. Dowd was named to the all-tournament team at the seventh annual GLIAC/GLVC Crossover Tournament and also received 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Second Team accolades.

Her performance helped the Bulldogs to the school's fourth-straight and 19th overall NCAA Tournament appearance as finished the 2014 campaign with a 24-6 overall record. The Bulldogs also made their 17th consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance.

Alexis Huntey - Junior, Outside Hitter

Huntey led the Bulldogs to a share of the GLIAC Regular-Season Championship, the school's second-ever GLIAC Tournament title and the program's fourth-straight NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinal appearance. Huntey also shines in the classroom and is majoring in Marketing. 

Huntey was also an All-GLIAC First Team pick in 2014 and totaled 320 digs, 221 kills, 63 blocks and 19 aces in 30 contests while ranking among the squad leaders in nearly every statistical category. This fall, she also claimed GLIAC Player of the Week accolades. Her performance helped the Bulldogs to the school's fourth-straight and 19th overall NCAA Tournament appearance as finished the 2014 campaign with a 24-6 overall record. The Bulldogs also made their 17th consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance.

Jason Vander Laan - Junior, Quarterback

Vander Laan became only the third player in GLIAC history and the first-ever Bulldog recipient of the Harlon Hill Trophy presented to the most outstanding player in NCAA Division II after leading FSU to its first 11-0 regular season in the school's 106-year history. Vander Laan is an Applied Math Actuarial Science major. 

The 6-2, 241-pounder from Frankfort, Ill. rushed for 1,466 yards with 20 touchdowns while completing 183-of-275 passes for 2,381 yards and 30 more scores. He ranked as the nation's top rushing quarterback at all levels and was tops in the country in passing efficiency (177.8) along with points responsible for this year (300) entering the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Along with claiming the Harlon Hill Trophy, the three-year starter achieved recognition from numerous sources. He was voted the regional and national player of the year by both Daktronics and the Beyond Sports Network along with claiming the GLIAC Player of the Year honor. He was also chosen as the only quarterback on the 2014 American Football Coaches Association All-America First Team and the Associated Press Little All-America Team after guiding FSU to the school's first GLIAC Championship in 15 years, first Division II Playoff appearance in 18 years and the school's best overall mark in 19 seasons.

Justin Zimmer - Junior, Defensive End

Zimmer led the Bulldogs on the defensive side of the ball as FSU won its first GLIAC Championship in 15 years, made the school's first NCAA Playoff appearance in 18 years and posted the best overall mark in 19 seasons. Zimmer also excels in the classroom majoring in Business Management Marketing and Teaching.

A national finalist for both the Cliff Harris Small College Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Gene Upshaw Lineman of the Year honor, Zimmer earned All-GLIAC First Team recognition for the second consecutive year and also was chosen to the Daktronics All-America Second Team, becoming both an All-American on the field and in the classroom this season as he was also named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America First Team.

The two-time first team all-conference pick led the Bulldogs with 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2014 while turning in 76 total tackles, including 31 solo hits, to go with five pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Zimmer served as a team captain for the first Ferris State team to go 11-0 in the regular season in 106 years of Bulldog Football and was an all-region choice by both Daktronics and Beyond Sports Network.