Women's Volleyball Falls To Nationally-Ranked Minnesota State
The Ferris State University women's volleyball team was dealt its first loss of the 2010 season this Saturday (Sept. 4) afternoon at the Ferris State Invitational as the nationally 18th-ranked Minnesota State Mavericks registered a 3-1 decision (23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-18) at FSU's Ewigleben Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.
The setback dropped Ferris State's record to 2-1 overall while Minnesota State upped its overall mark to 3-0 on the season.
Senior middle hitter Arielle Goodson (Grand Rapids/Central) and junior outside hitter Ashley Huntey (Stanwood/Morley-Stanwood) combined for 79.1% of the team's kills production in the match. Goodson led all players with 19 kills on .200 hitting while Huntey netted 15 kills and hit at a .235 clip. Sophomore outside hitter Aly Brecht (Alma) contributed six kills as the Bulldogs would conclude the match holding a 43-38 edge in kills.
Minnesota State's Amanda Beekman was the lone Maverick to register double-digit kills with 11 and hit for a .250 percentage as the visitors produced a .183 hitting efficiency to Ferris' .142 attack proficiency.
Directing the Ferris offense was sophomore setter Samantha Fordyce (DeWitt), who totaled a match-best 36 assists and supplied eight digs.
Junior libero Lisa Tobiczyk's (Marysville) 16 digs led all players in the non-conference match, finishing just ahead of Minnesota State's Alli Rice and Chelsea Fogarty, who had 14 and 11 digs, respectively.
Both teams were highly productive at the net as Minnesota State generated 8.0 total team blocks and Ferris State claimed 7.0 as a squad. Arielle Goodson, a preseason All-America candidate, led Ferris State with one block solo and five block assists in the four-set match.
In the opening set, Ferris State prevailed as the Bulldogs snapped a 23-all tie thanks to a pair of consecutive hitting errors by the Mavericks. FSU would post a .053 attack percentage in the first set.
The second set went the way of Minnesota State despite being outhit efficiency wise by the Bulldogs, .261 to .318. With the set deadlocked at 22-apiece on a MSU service ace, the Mavericks took the lead for good on a Brittany Stamer kill proceeded by a pair of Bulldog hitting miscues.
A low hitting percentage hampered Ferris State in the ensuing set as the Bulldogs trailed early and could never catch up to the Mavericks, who would outscore the hosts 11-7 down the stretch to claim a 2-1 advantage.
In the fourth set, the two teams went back and forth as FSU would maintain a 13-12 lead at one point on a Minnesota State service error. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs' slim lead evaporated as MSU would pick up the next two points and never trailed the rest of the way. Ferris State came as close within two points (19-17) on a kill by Arielle Goodson, but the Mavericks would tally three unanswered to seal the set and match.
FSU finished up the 2010 Ferris State Invitational this Saturday (Sept. 4) as the Bulldogs face former Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member the Mercyhurst Lakers in a 3 p.m. (EDT) tilt at the Ewigleben Sports Arena.