Bulldog Volleyball Captures Record Sixth Consecutive GLIAC Tourney Title

Postgame Highlights & Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - For the sixth consecutive season, the nationally #17-ranked Ferris State University women's volleyball teamcaptured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Championship as the Bulldogs defeated the Michigan Tech Huskies 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-18) on Sunday (Nov. 24) before a capacity crowd inside the Ewigleben Sports Arena.

The Bulldog hoisted the GLIAC Tournament trophy on their own floor for the fifth consecutive year, with their other in the six-year streak coming inside Grand Valley State's Fieldhouse Arena in 2014.

Ferris State has now run the table as regular season and conference tournament champions for the sixth consecutive season. 

Three Bulldogs were named to the All-Tournament team, as junior outside hitter Katie O'Connell, and senior outside hitters Courtney Brewer, and Allyson Cappel each picked up GLIAC Tournament honors while Cappel was named the GLIAC Tournament's Most Valuable Player.

For Ferris State in the championship match, O'Connell had 13 kills on a .364 attack percentage to lead all attackers in the match. Brewer added 10 kills while freshman middle hitter Kira Merkle picked up seven to go with a match-best six total blocks on the day. Both Cappel and sophomore middle hitter Samantha Hermann had six kills in the championship match.

The Bulldogs got a strong defensive performance out of junior libero Nina Gorgijevska, who finished with a team-best 21 digs out of Ferris State's 73 in the match. Senior setter Maeve Grimes added 16 digs to go with her match-best 37 assists while Brewer had 12 digs. O'Connell added 11 more digs for Ferris State.

Ferris State held Michigan Tech to an .044 attack percentage for the match, including a .000 mark in the middle frame. The Bulldogs hit for a .231 attack percentage, including a match-high .325 clip in the decisive third set with 17 kills. Ferris State had 11 or more kills in each set.

For Michigan Tech, Rachel Ping had seven kills and hit for a .333 kill percentage. MacAulay Peterson and Olivia Ghormley each had six kills for Michigan Tech. MTU's Megan Utlak had a match-best 26 digs for the Huskies.

Over the course of Ferris State's six-year GLIAC Tournament winning streak, the Bulldogs have played in 18 matches. None of those matches have gone to more than four sets. Ferris State's 3-0 sweep of the Michigan Tech Huskies is the 14th sweep in the GLIAC Tournament dating back to 2014.

For the ninth consecutive season, Ferris State Volleyball is also NCAA Tournament bound, upon receiving the automatic qualifier via the conference tournament championship. 

FSU, with a 25-5 overall record, now awaits the NCAA Volleyball Tournament Selection Show to determine their destination and opponent. The show is set for Monday (Nov. 25) at 7:30 p.m. (ET) at NCAA.com. The NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament takes place Dec. 5-7 at a campus site.