Bulldogs Sweep Lakers To Earn Right To Host GLIAC Semifinals/Finals This Weekend

Postgame Highlights & Interview - Coach Brandel-Wilhelm 
Postgame Interview - Emma Bleecher 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's volleyball team swept the Lake Superior State Lakers 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) to advance to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday (Nov. 9) evening inside Jim Wink Arena.

With the quarterfinal win, the Bulldogs earned the right to host the GLIAC Semifinals and finals, to be played on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 11-12) in Big Rapids.

Ferris State hit at a .196 clip, and slowed the Lakers, who were approaching .300 by the beginning of the third set, to a .152 mark. 

The Bulldogs had to fend off a hot start to the third set by Lake Superior State, and trailed by as many as six points. Down 13-7, Ferris State mounted a charge to blow past the Lakers, going on a 14-1 run, surging in front 21-15 before grinding its way to a 25-18 third set victory.

Ferris State was led in scoring by freshman outside hitter Emma Bleecher and her 14 kills, to go with a .357 hitting percentage. FSU sophomore middle hitter Olivia Henneman-Dallape added eight kills on the evening while sophomore setter Kaylee Maat had 29 assists, five kills and 11 digs.

Defensively, Maat and sophomore libero Leah Bylut each had 11 digs to lead all Bulldogs on the night. At the net, FSU sophomore middle hitter Syann Fairfield had four total blocks, most of any in the match. Maat chipped in two block assists at the net for the Bulldogs as well.

Service wise, Bylut led all servers with three service aces for Ferris State.

The Lakers were led in scoring by Taylor Fleming's nine kills, with Mariana Valasque adding eight. Sydney Briney and Ally Lasley each had nine digs while Maggie Morris added two total blocks.

The top-seeded Bulldogs will face fifth-seeded Michigan Tech on Friday (Nov. 11) in the first GLIAC Semifinal match at 4 p.m. (ET) inside Wink Arena. The second semifinal will pit second-seeded Northern Michigan against sixth-seeded Grand Valley State at 6:30 p.m. (ET) with Saturday's title match set to begin at 4 p.m. (ET).

Tickets for the GLIAC Tournament can be purchased in advance online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.