Ferris State Volleyball Clinchs Outright GLIAC Championship With Win Over Hillsdale

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's volleyball team won its third consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular-season championship following a thrilling 3-1 victory over the Hillsdale  Chargers on Friday (Nov. 11) night in the Ewigleben Sports Arena. 

The Bulldogs captured the win 25-22, 25-15, 22-25 and 25-21 in a back-and-forth affair. Although the Bulldogs built a 2-0 lead and won handily in the second set, the Chargers responded in the third to force the fourth frame. 

Ferris State outhit Hillsdale .243 to .148 for the match, but the Chargers were able to win the third set by narrowly outhitting the Bulldogs .179 to .146 overall.  

FSU junior hitter Ayanna Buckley had 19 kills in the winning effort and hit an impressive .500 for the match. Freshman outside hitter Allyson Cappel added 16 kills for Ferris State with junior middle hitter Maria Kronner marking nine kills on the night. 

The match saw 24 tie scores, nine of which came in the fourth set, where the Bulldogs came from behind towards the end of the frame to win the match. The lead swapped hands 13 times over the four sets. 

Cappel also had a big day from the service line for the Bulldogs, nailing down four service aces. Sophomore outside hitter Katie Placek also had three aces for FSU. 

Cappel and Kronner each had two solo blocks to lead Ferris State, which finished with six total for the evening.

Hillsdale College finished with 10 total blocks, as Erin Holsinger had four block assists, with Taylor Bennett earning three. 

Senior setter Stephanie Sikorski, who was honored before the match for earning her 1,000th career dig, led all setters with 44 assists on the night. 

Defensively, junior libero Lauren Reminga earned 20 digs with Cappel chipping in 11 digs in a team effort. Hillsdale libero Taylor Wiese matched Reminga's 20 digs and the Chargers finished with 70 digs to Ferris State's 61 overall.

With the win, the Bulldogs not only secured the GLIAC's outright crown for both divisions, but also will be the number one seed heading into the GLIAC Tournament. Ferris State improved to 24-5 overall as well as 15-1 in GLIAC play with the victory. 

The Bulldogs return to the court Saturday (Nov. 12) at 5 p.m. (ET) to take on the Northwood Timberwolves in the regular season finale. It will also be Senior Day as FSU honors seniors Kaley Konjarevich, Jenna Way and Sikorski prior to the league tilt.