Ferris State Volleyball Rolls To Sweep In Opening Match Of GLIAC/GLVC Crossover

Big Rapids, Mich. - The nationally-ranked Ferris State University women's volleyball team won for the 12th time in its last 13 contests as the Bulldogs opened the 2013 Mizuno GLIAC/GLVC Crossover Tournament with an impressive 3-0 sweep over Rockhurst (Mo.) at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, Ill.

FSU moved to 16-4 overall with the triumph against the Hawks, who fell to 16-5 on the year.  Ferris State rolled to the win by scores of 25-18, 26-24 and 25-20 to win its opening match of the sixth annual event.

Junior outside hitter Courtney Rehm led the Bulldog attack with 14 kills in the match and she added seven digs.  FSU also received nine kills each from sophomore Alexis Huntey and middle blocker Caroline Heitzman along with senior middle hitter Angi Kent in the balanced effort.

The Bulldogs hit .244 for the match and freshman setter Stephanie Sikorski compiled 37 assists as FSU picked up the win.  Ferris State also had 53 digs with senior libero Brandie Merren leading the way with 20 on the day and Huntey chipping in 10.

Heitzman had both three solo blocks and three assisted efforts for Ferris State at the net.  In addition, the Bulldogs totaled three aces and had only two service errors.

Meanwhile, Rockhurst was paced by Kelsey Stratman and Katie Loescher, who each totaled nine kills.  RU managed only a .156 attack figure and came away with 40 kills, 46 digs and two solo blocks.  The GLVC foes had no aces and no errors in the match.

Ferris State jumped out to an impressive start in set one by hittin .394 en route to the win.
Mizuno is again serving as the title sponsor for the regional volleyball event which pits 16 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) volleyball teams against 16 institutions representing the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in the nation's largest collegiate volleyball event.

The Bulldogs continue tournament play versus Indianapolis on Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT) followed by a matchup versus Lewis at 4 p.m. (CT).

The two-day tournament features 48 matches conducted on eight courts at one of the top volleyball facilities in the country. The event, designed to increase competition between teams from the two leagues in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region, has previously been held in Indianapolis, Ind., and Lansing, Mich.

One GLVC team and one GLIAC team is squaring off in each contest, which consists of eight matches happening simultaneously in each of three sessions over the two-day event.   The conference that boasts the best combined record at the end of the event will earn the Crossover traveling trophy, which has been in the GLVC's possession the past three years.
 
For more information, log on to the event's official website:
http://www.gliac.org/sports/wvball/2013-14/crossover/Crossover_13