Two-Time All-GLIAC Transfer Ava Irvin Joins Regional Champion Ferris State Volleyball Program

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's volleyball program, which is the two-time defending NCAA Division II Midwest Region Champion, has added transfer standout Ava Irvin to the roster for the upcoming 2026 campaign.

A fifty-year senior, Irvin has played collegiately at fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member Parkside and is an outside hitter hailing from Rockford, Ill. She played on the prep level at Belvidere North High School.

"Ava is an exciting volleyball player and dynamic athlete who knows how to score," said FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm. "She is a driven competitor and it will be fun to have her as a Bulldog for her final season. We are excited for her to join the team."

Irvin has twice earned All-GLIAC accolades, claiming first team recognition in 2023 and second-team all-league laurels in 2025. She ranked sixth in the GLIAC this past fall in kills per set with a 3.23 average. In addition, she ranked sixth in the league in points per set at 3.75 per set in 2025.

This past season, she twice earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors and finished with 339 kills to go with 225 digs and 30 service aces. She also recorded a career-best 45 blocks on the year and had 15 kills or more in seven contests. Irvin ranked second in the GLIAC as a sophomore in 2023 with 424 total kills.

On the prep level, Irvin was a first-team all-conference selection and led her team to league championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The four-year varsity Scholar-Athlete was also an honor roll student and helped her team to a state playoff appearance in 2021 after winning both regional and sectional titles in 2019.

Ferris State, which compiled a 27-8 overall this year, made its second consecutive NCAA D2 Elite Eight appearance and the fifth in program history. FSU also advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 29th time in program history, including the 14th consecutive year, while also capturing the GLIAC Regular Season Championship this past fall.