#4 Bulldogs Drop First Two Matches Against Strong Competition In Florida
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Drury (Mo.) (4-1) | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Ferris State (4-1) | 20 | 25 | 23 | 15 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ferris State (4-2) | 10 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 1 |
|
Florida Southern (2-3) | 25 | 25 | 18 | 25 | 3 |
Lakeland, Fla. - The nationally 4th-ranked Ferris State University women's volleyball squad had its season-opening unbeaten run snapped on Friday (Aug. 31) as the Bulldogs dropped two matches in day one action in Florida.
The Bulldogs suffered identical 3-1 setback against regional foe Drury (Mo.) and host Florida Southern at the 2018 Terrace Hotel/Courtyard Marriott Classic held at the Jenkins Fieldhouse.
In the opening match of the day, Drury jumped in front of FSU early by taking the first two sets 25-20 and 25-22. After a 25-23 FSU win in the third forced another set, the Panthers sealed the victory with a 25-15 decision.
The host Moccasins also got off to a big start against the Bulldogs in the nightcap and bolted in front early with 25-10 and 25-20 wins in the opening two frames. FSU pulled out a 25-18 win in the third before Florida Southern closed the door with a 25-22 triumph in the fourth.
Ferris State junior outside hitter Allyson Cappel led the team with 17 kills against Drury and finished with 28 kills on the day in the two outings combined. Junior middle hitter Mekayla Carey was close being her with 26 kills overall, including a team-leading 12 against Florida Southern.
Sophomore outside hitter Katie O'Connell also brought in 22 kills in the two outings with 12 in the first and 10 in the second.
Junior setter Maeve Grimes totaled 84 assists for the day as well as four aces. She had 49 assists versus Drury and 35 against FSC.
Defensively, the Bulldogs totaled 152 digs for the day with senior libero Katie Placek leading the way. She brought in 38 digs, including 22 in the opener and 16 more in the second. O'Connell had 28 digs for the day.
Ferris State finished the day with 99 kills, including 56 in the opener against Drury when the Bulldogs hit .172 overall.
In the opener, Drury was paced by Bentley Mara with 16 kills and Bree Schmidt with 27 digs.
The Moccasins' standouts in the nightcap included Nicole Mattson with 17 kills and Gabby Fresh with 20 digs.
Ferris State continues action in the Sunshine State on Saturday (Sept. 1) at 10:30 a.m. (ET) Rollins College followed by a 7 p.m. (ET) tilt against the University of Tampa, which will host both of Saturday's final matches on the trip in Tampa.