Ferris State Volleyball Cruises Past Saginaw Valley State
A season-high .336 hitting percentage recorded by the Ferris State University women's volleyball team proved vital in propelling the Bulldogs to a convincing 3-0 victory (25-16, 25-14, 25-15) over the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals this Wednesday (Nov. 3) in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division contest at FSU's Ewigleben Sports Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.
Ferris State, which improves to 15-9 overall and 11-6 in the GLIAC North Division with the win, has now prevailed in its last four outings to date. Furthermore, the Bulldogs upped their home record to 9-3 this campaign as a result of the three-set decision. Saginaw Valley State evens its overall record to 12-12 with the loss as the Cardinals currently sport a 7-10 ledger in conference play.
The Bulldogs, who have produced at least a .300 attack percentage in four outings this season, previously hit for a season-best .333 percentage in a 3-1 league triumph at Lake Superior State earlier this fall (Sept. 19).
Junior outside hitter Ashley Huntey (Stanwood/Morley-Stanwood) led all players with her 11 kills and finished with a .526 hitting percentage on one error in 19 opportunities. Senior middle hitter Arielle Goodson (Grand Rapids/Central) netted a .500 attack percentage on the basis of nine kills in 16 hitting attempts. Senior middle hitter Danielle Hamilton (Galesburg/Galesburg-Augusta) chipped in with six kills to go with .308 hitting efficiency as the Bulldogs claimed a 34-26 lead in team kills.
Sophomore setter Samantha Fordyce (DeWitt) directed the FSU offense with a match-leading 24 kills and added 10 digs en route to notching her third double-double of this season. Junior libero Lisa Tobiczyk (Marysville) racked up double digits in digs for the 21st time this campaign and the eighth time in a row to date with a match-best 12-digs performance. Tobiczyk also contributed on the offensive side with a match-leading three service aces.
In blocking, Ferris State generated six total team blocks with Arielle Goodson leading the charge by posting one block solo and four block assists. Samantha Fordyce and sophomore outside hitter Aly Brecht (Alma) each added two block assists in the win.
Ferris State led from start to finish the opening set as the Bulldogs concluded the stanza hitting .233 while the Cardinals finished at -.086. FSU scored the set's first eight points although SVSU was able to get within four points (17-13) in the later stages.
The second set was close in the early going with four ties, but hitting efficiency proved the difference maker as the Bulldogs netted a match set-best .440 percentage and Saginaw Valley State was limited to -.062. An 11-2 scoring run by Ferris State midway through the stanza determined the outcome as Arielle Goodson hammered four kills in the set and Ashley Huntey garnered three.
In the third and final set, FSU tallied 10 of the set's initial 15 points and maintained the lead taking a 22-14 advantage toward the end. The winning point of both the set and match came when junior middle hitter Mallory Kopa (Marysville) hammered the ball into the opposition's side for the kill. Ashley Huntey's six kills in the set led the Bulldogs, which compiled a .391 hitting percentage while the Cardinals checked in at a .148 percent success rate.
The Bulldogs continue their conference regular-season ending homestand this Thursday (Nov. 4) when the Northwood Timberwolves pay a visit to FSU's Ewigleben Sports Arena. The GLIAC North Division encounter is scheduled for a 7 p.m. (EDT) start time.