Ferris State Volleyball Beats Michigan Tech In Houghton To Stay Atop GLIAC Standings

Big Rapids, Mich. - The 11th-ranked Ferris State University women's volleyball squad stayed atop the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings as the Bulldogs beat Michigan Tech 3-1 on Saturday afternoon in a first-place showdown in Houghton.

Ferris State jumped out to a 2-0 lead by winning the first two sets 25-16 and 25-18 before MTU responded with a 25-16 victory in the third. However, the Bulldogs closed out the match by taking the fourth frame 26-24 to improve to 10-3 overall and a perfect 5-0 in the GLIAC.

Junior outside hitter Allyson Cappel led the way with a team-high 13 kills and 17 digs in the win. FSU also got 12 kills from junior Courtney Brewer along with 11 by sophomore Katie O'Connell and 10 from Mekayla Carey. Junior setter Maeve Grimes dished out 39 assists.

Overall, the Bulldogs hit .199 for the day and totaled 52 kills with only 18 errors on 171 total attacks.

Defensively, Ferris State got a team-high 24 digs from libero Katie Placek to go with the 17 from Cappel along with 13 by O'Connell and 12 from Kayla Rosman.

Rosman also had three aces from the service line and Cappel added two as FSU totaled six aces in the outing. Ferris State had a big day at the net with four solo blocks, including three by Carey, in addition to 24 assists, which featured nine from Carey along with five by Grimes and four from O'Connell.

Michigan Tech received a match-high 18 kills from Olivia Ghormley and 11 by Mariah Sherman. Megan Utlak had a match-best 26 digs with Laura DeMarchi adding 47 assists for the Huskies, who hit .195 overall on 57 kills, 23 errors and 174 total attacks. MTU also had nine mistakes from the service line.

Ferris State, which has won five-straight outings, will return home to host Lake Superior State on Friday, Sept. 21, at 12 p.m. (ET). FSU will then play host to Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, Sept. 22, starting at 3 p.m. (ET) inside the Ewigleben Sports Arena.