FSU Volleyball Beats Michigan Tech To Cap Weekend Split In Upper Peninsula

HOUGHTON, Mich. — The Ferris State University women's volleyball squad bounced back to defeat Michigan Tech 3-1 on Saturday (Nov. 8) at the Student Development Gymnasium in Houghton.

FSU dropped the first set 26-24, but rebounded to win the next three sets 25-22, 25-20, and 25-17. Ferris State registered 60 kills with a .270 hitting percentage, while Michigan Tech managed 53 kills with a .191 hitting figure. The Bulldogs also delivered seven service aces and tallied eight total blocks.

Ferris State and the Huskies engaged in a competitive first set with both teams exchanging leads. Gabby Piazza was instrumental for FSU, scoring multiple kills and aces, contributing to a 15-9 advantage. However, Michigan Tech rallied back, tying the score at 23-23 with a crucial service ace by Amelia Albers. The set remained close, but Michigan Tech secured the final points, ending the set 26-24 with a service ace from Brooke Dzwik.

Ferris State started strong in the second set with a service ace from Hayley Wegener, quickly building a 3-0 lead. The Huskies responded, narrowing the gap with a series of kills, including those by Rachel Zurek and Tricia Kennedy, achieving a brief 7-6 lead. Ferris State regained momentum, fueled by Piazza's back-to-back kills, and extended its advantage to 11-7. Despite Michigan Tech's efforts to close the gap, Ferris State sealed the set 25-22 with Emily May's decisive kill, assisted by Wegener.

The Bulldogs secured a 25-20 victory in the third set against the Huskies, driven by a series of key plays from May and Emma Bleecher. Early in the set, May contributed with multiple kills, including one at 2-1 and another at 8-6, both assisted by Wegener. MTU kept the set competitive, with Zurek delivering several crucial points, including a kill at 11-8. However, Ferris State maintained its lead with strong performances from Bleecher, who added a pivotal kill at 24-20. The set concluded with an attack error by Michigan Tech's Tricia Kennedy.

Ferris State secured a commanding 25-17 victory in the fourth set against the Huskies, sealing the match win. May and Maddy Vaara contributed crucial kills early on, maintaining a close contest with Michigan Tech, which briefly held the lead at 4-3. FSU then found momentum, with Piazza recording multiple kills to help the team to a 9-8 lead. A significant run, including a service ace and several attack errors from Michigan Tech, extended the Ferris State lead to 21-15. Wegener then capped the set with a decisive kill, assisted by Alana Deshetsky.

May led Ferris State with 16 kills, achieving a hitting percentage of .364 and contributing two blocks, finishing with a team-high 17 points. Piazza posted 15 kills and three aces, accumulating a total of 18.5 points. Wegener orchestrated the offense with 47 assists, while also adding 13 digs and three block assists. Hope Davies was pivotal on defense, recording 21 digs over the match.

Zurek led Michigan Tech with 20 kills on 44 attempts, achieving a .364 hitting percentage, and contributed significantly with 21.5 points. Madelynn Kreider was instrumental in playmaking with 43 assists and added 15 digs to her performance. Julia Fledderjohn made a strong defensive impact, recording 21 digs over four games. Dzwik added depth to the attack with eight kills and two service aces, totaling 10.5 points.

Ferris State is now 20-6 overall record with a 12-3 mark in GLIAC play. The Bulldogs are tied with both Wayne State and Grand Valley State for first place in the league standings with two regular-season matches remaining.

FSU returns home to host Roosevelt on Friday (Nov. 14) at 6 p.m. (ET) inside Bulldog Arena. The Bulldogs then take on Parkside on Saturday (Nov. 15) starting at 3 p.m. (ET) in Big Rapids in the regular-season finale.