Ferris State Wins Regional Showdown Over Hillsdale To Finish Weekend Unbeaten At Home

Postgame Highlights & Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The 21st-ranked Ferris State University women's volleyball squad capped an impressive weekend of play unbeaten as the Bulldogs topped regional rival Hillsdale 3-1 on Saturday (Aug. 25) evening to wrap up their own home invitational at the Ewigleben Sports Arena.

In a highly-contested showdown to wrap up the 10-team, three-day event, the Bulldogs won the opening two frames 25-17 and 25-23 before the Chargers rallied for a 25-22 victory in the third. The fourth set went back and forth, but FSU pulled it out in the end 25-22 to finish 4-0 in the weekend of action.

Junior outside hitter Allyson Cappel led the Bulldogs with a season-high 22 kills and 23 digs while junior middle hitter Mekayla Carey added 15 kills in the victory. The Bulldogs also got 11 kills from junior outside hitter Courtney Brewer along with 10 from sophomore outside hitter Katie O'Connell.

Bulldog junior setter Maeve Grimes led the unit's charge with 52 assists on the night while adding eight digs. Senior Libero Katie Placek added to Cappel's night with a team-high tying 23 digs along with an ace and two assists. Carey and freshman Samantha Hermann both helped account for six blocks apiece with Brewer adding four assists at the net.

Ferris State compiled 60 kills overall and hit .161 for the event, but limited to the Chargers to only a .087 attack figure. The Bulldogs also had 89 digs, 56 assists, 13 blocks and four aces on the night.

Meanwhile, Hillsdale finished with 47 kills while notching 93 digs, 45 assists, 12 blocks and two aces.

The Chargers were led by Kara Vyletel, who had 14 kills on the night, as well as Taylor Weise with 29 digs. Lindsey Mertz added 37 assists.

In the weekend of action, the Bulldogs beat two nationally-ranked teams, including nationally top-ranked defending national champion Concordia-St. Paul and 17th-ranked Winona State (Minn.), along with two teams both receiving votes in the AVCA Division II National Poll in Hillsdale and Upper Iowa.

The Bulldogs were the lone squad of the 10 competing teams at the Ferris State Invitational this weekend to finish unbeaten.

For their efforts, FSU had three representatives on the all-tournament team, including Cappel, Grimes and Placek. Cappel led all tournament players with 4.64 kills per set on the weekend while Grimes dished out 11.36 assists a frame and Placek tallied 5.00 digs per set.

The Bulldogs will next travel to Florida for a pair of tournaments over the Labor Day Holiday. FSU will face regional foe Drury (Mo.) on Friday, Aug. 31, at 11 a.m. (ET) along with host Florida Southern at 3 p.m. (ET) in the Terrace Hotel Classic in Lakeland.

FSU then ventures to the University of Tampa Classic on Saturday, Sept. 1, and will square off against Rollins (Fla.) at 10:30 a.m. (ET) along with host Tampa starting at 7 p.m. (ET).