Ferris State Volleyball Listed Fourth In Initial NCAA-II Midwest Regional Rankings

Big Rapids, Mich. - On the heels of an exciting comeback win over archrival Grand Valley State in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) first-place showdown on Tuesday night, the Ferris State University women's volleyball squad is listed fourth overall in the initial NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings unveiled late Wednesday (Oct. 29).

The Bulldogs, who are the defending NCAA Midwest Regional Champions, are fourth among the top 10 teams listed in the first regional rankings of the year.

In the initial poll, Truman State (Mo.) of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is atop the regional rankings with GVSU listed second and Rockhurst (Mo.) third in front of Ferris State. Meanwhile, Indianapolis came in fifth.

The second five of the regional index features number six Lewis (Ill.) followed by Missouri S&T, Missouri-St. Louis, McKendree (Ill.) and Findlay in the top 10. Presently, the GLVC has seven schools in the top 10 with the GLIAC holding down three spots in GVSU, FSU and Findlay.

The rankings are based off of records at the start of the week and does not take into consideration FSU's win this week over the Lakers.

After regular-season and conference tournament action is complete, the top eight teams in the region will advance to the NCAA Division II Midwest Tournament with one school hosting regional action Nov. 22.

Ferris State has advanced to the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years and reached the regional semifinal round or higher all three seasons. Overall, the Bulldogs have advanced to the national tournament 18 times in the program's history. 

On Tuesday night, 22nd-ranked Ferris State moved into a first-place tie with rival Grand Valley State in the GLIAC standings as the Bulldogs rallied past the 14th-ranked Lakers for an exciting 3-2 triumph in a thrilling showdown at FSU's Ewigleben Sports Arena.

A capacity crowd of more than 600 fans watched the Bulldogs battle back from a 2-1 deficit to win the fourth frame and force the deciding fifth set. In the last set, the Lakers jumped out to an 8-6 lead midway thru, but FSU was not to be denied as the Bulldogs earned a hard-fought 17-15 win.

The victory was FSU's second fifth-set comeback against the Lakers in the last three series' meetings as the Bulldogs claimed last year's NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship on GVSU's home floor in Allendale in similar fashion to advance to the Elite Eight.

With the win over the Lakers, Ferris State improved to 16-5 overall this year and the Bulldogs have now won each of their last three outings to date. FSU is 13-1 in the GLIAC and also owns a 15-4 in-region record according to the NCAA listing.

Ferris State will hit the road for a pair of league contests this weekend as FSU ventures to Lake Superior State on Friday (Oct. 31) for a 7 p.m. (ET) GLIAC tilt in Sault Ste. Marie before heading to Northwood on Saturday (Nov. 1) with match time against the Timberwolves set for 5 p.m. (ET) in Midland.

The Bulldogs will then play their final two regular-season matches at home on Nov. 7-8 versus Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State, respectively.