Volleyball Regional Champion Ferris State Inks West Michigan Standout Lauren Reminga

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's volleyball team, which captured the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship to advance to the Elite Eight this past fall, has announced the adition of West Michigan prep libero Lauren Reminga (Hudsonville).

Reminga, who completed her senior campaign for Hudsonville High School this past season and earned 2013 MaxPreps All-America honors, will begin her freshman season with the Bulldogs next fall. Her addition as a libero will help fill a void created by the loss of two-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Libero of the Year Brandie Merren, who was a senior this past season. 

"Lauren has played high level volleyball for years," said FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhem. "Her experience level will allow her to compete on the court very early in her career.  She's a tenacious competitor who plays with a calm confidence.  

"In addtion, she is an amazing teammate who is already a fixture within the Bulldog team and we are really happy to have Lauren join Ferris State Volleyball," she added.

Reminga was a Michigan Class A First Team All-State honoree for Hudsonville in 2013 under prep head coach Teresa VanDerSchaaf. She also claimed All-Ottawa Kent (OK) Red Conference recognition and was both an all-area and all-region choice. She earned individual academic all-state laurels and was tabbed as the team Most Valuable Player Award recipient.

A three-time all-district honoree, Reminga helped lead Hudsonville to the OK Red Conference Championship in 2013. The squad also claimed team academic all-state recognition. She was a two-time all-conference pick and compiled 1,060 digs along with 91 service aces, 83 assists and 35 kills as her squad posted a 50-14-1 record this past fall.

As a junior in 2012, Reminga compiled 921 digs, 90 aces, 23 assists and 23 kills in helping Hudsonville win a district crown and post a 43-25 mark. She was a third-team all-state choice in her junior season while also earning all-region, all-area and all-conference recognition. This past fall, she served as team captain.

Along with her prep volleyball career, Reminga also left her mark on the travel circuit while playing for the DFFO program for coach Kyle Staal. They advanced to nationals each of the past two years.

Reminga is the first announced member of the Bulldogs' 2014 recruiting class with additional recruits to be annnounced in the near future.

Ferris State closed a memorable 2013 campaign with a 25-9 overall record after nearly pulling off a major win over eventual national runner-up BYU-Hawaii in their first appearance deep on the national stage since the late 1980's.  FSU, which made its 18th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance this past fall, claimed a regional crown to reach the Elite Eight and national quarterfinals for only the third time in school history and first since 1989.

This past year marked Ferris State's first regional championship since previously winning two back in 1987 and 1989. The Bulldogs reached at least the regional semifinals for the third year in a row and have now made the NCAA Tournament nine times under Brandel-Wilhelm, who led FSU to the Elite Eight for the first time in her tenure after notching her 500th career victory in an exciting 3-2 comeback win over archrival Grand Valley State in the Midwest Regional title match in Allendale.

The Bulldogs also placed tied for second this season in the GLIAC with a 15-3 overall record, reached the conference tournament for the 16th consecutive year and posted 20 wins or more for the 12th time in 18 seasons under Brandel-Wilhelm's direction.