Two-Time Defending GLIAC Champion Ferris State Signs Two High-Level Volleyball Standouts

Big Rapids, Mich. - Two-time defending Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Volleyball Champion Ferris State has announced the addition of two talented high-level prep standouts who inked during the recent fall signing period. The announcement came from 2015 AVCA Division II Midwest Region Coach of the Year Tia Brandel-Wilhelm.

The Bulldogs added outside hitter Allyson Cappel (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) along with setter Maeve Grimes (Westchester, Ill./Nazareth Academy), who both hail from Illinois. They will join the FSU program as freshmen in the fall of 2016.

"We're thrilled to add both Allyson and Maeve to our program and look forward to their arrival this fall," Brandel-Wilhelm said. "They are both talented players and decorated student-athletes who will help to carry on the outstanding tradition of Ferris State Volleyball."

The 5-10 Cappel has played the past four seasons under head coach Mary Brown at Lincoln-Way North High School in Frankfort, Ill. The two-time Chicago Tribune Player of the Month honoree was a four-year letterwinner and compiled 341 kills with 211 digs, 35 blocks and 35 aces while leading her squad to a 35-4 overall mark this past fall. During her prep career, she served as team captain and was both a first-team all-conference and all-area choice.

Cappel helped Lincoln-Way North win three-straight conference titles and a pair of regional championships on the prep level. The four-year Scholar-Athlete Award honoree claimed numerous all-tournament team mentions and guided Lincoln-Way North to a sectional crown and Elite Eight finish in 2015. She previously posted 210 kills, 169 digs and 41 aces as her squad compiled a 33-3 mark in her junior season.

Along with her standout prep career, Cappel also played club volleyball for the Michio Chicago Volleyball Academy and the national team under coach Bob Heersema. Previously, she was a Illinois Level 5 State Champion gymnast in the bars and vault and has also played varsity basketball. Cappel has also been active in the student council and is both a National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society member at Lincoln-Way North. Her parents, Eric and Deborah Cappel, both competed collegiately at Northeast Missouri State in basketball and track/cross country, respectively.

"Allyson is a terrific athlete and a great six-rotation player," said Brandel-Wilhelm. "As an outside hitter, she has a strong arm and she also has great passing and defense skills. She is a tough competitor who is used to being in big matches. 

"Overall, Allyson is a fantastic young woman who excels in the classroom and on the volleyball court," she added. "She is a quiet leader who cares deeply about her teammates and will be a great addition to our program."

The 5-10 Grimes is also an out-of-state signee from Illinois who is coming off a standout career at Nazareth Academy for head coach Wayne Saunders in LaGrange Park, Ill. A 2015 All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection, Grimes has been a Suburban Life Newspaper All-Area choice and claimed all-tournament team recognition at both the Champaign Centennial and the Bradley Bourbonnais Invitationals this past fall.

Besides competing in volleyball, Grimes has also been active in the Road Runner Club and the Youth Initiative at the Nazareth Academy while serving as a leader for the Caring Place for Kids. She's the daughter of Bob and Susan Grimes.

"Maeve is a great athlete and a very versatile player," Brandel-Wilhelm said. "She is primarily a setter, but has played as an attacker at the outside, middle along with the right side and is a tireless worker who is committed to putting in the time to be the best she can be. 

"We've added an intense competitor who has led her team to success in some very big matches," she added. "I have no doubts she'll be a fantastic teammate and a great addition to our program."

The Bulldogs, who made the school's fifth-straight and 20th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, finished the 2015 campaign with a 33-3 overall record. FSU won its second-straight GLIAC Regular-Season Championship and claimed the school's second consecutive GLIAC Tournament title while earning the right to host the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament where FSU finished as the regional runner-up.

This year marked the 14th time in 20 seasons under Brandel-Wilhelm in which FSU has claimed at least 20 victories in a campaign. The Bulldogs also made their 18th consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance while achieving a number one national ranking for the first time during the 2015 campaign.