DETROIT - The 2010 season came to an end for the Wayne State University volleyball team (15-12) in the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament, as Ferris State University (18-9) ousted the Warriors from the postseason in a four-set result Thursday night.

Something had to give in a playoff clash between two teams who finished with identical 13-6 conference records and came in riding six-match winning streaks. The fifth-seeded Bulldogs ultimately came away with the victory by scores of 25-22, 22-25, 25-19, and 25-23.

Wayne State, which qualified for the GLIAC Tournament for the third straight season, defeated FSU for the first time since 1998 on Sept. 25, but the Bulldogs exacted revenge and became the only road team in the tournament to win Thursday.

Katarzyna Sak (Warren, Mich./Cousino) finished with 13 kills, seven blocks and a pair of service aces. She finished the season with 401 kills and became the first WSU player since Terina Howell in 1992 to finish with over 400 kills and a hitting percentage above .330.

Cydney Biessel (Ruby, Mich./Yale), who eclipsed the 2,000-assist mark for her career, totaled 34 assists along with three kills and three digs. She passed Katy Westenberg (Milford, Mich.) for sixth place all-time at WSU.

After the teams exchanged 25-22 results in the first two sets, Ferris State led by as many as eight points late in the third in its way to a 25-19 win.

Wayne State led for most of the fourth set and was ahead by as many as six before FSU mounted a comeback and pulled in front 22-20 on a five-point run. Tied at 23-23, the Bulldogs nabbed the final two points to win and advance to the semifinals.

Nicole Arends (Ravenna, Mich.) hit .333 with seven kills, while Madie Kent (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Grosse Pointe North) and Amanda Wetherill (Forest, Ohio/Riverdale) finished with six kills apiece. Kent also contributed 10 digs and two aces. Lindsey Graciak (Westland, Mich./Livonia Churchill) had 14 digs and three aces.

Playing in the final match of their careers, Maureen MacDonald (White Lake, Mich./Marian) totaled 10 kills, five digs and a pair of blocks, and Westenberg amassed seven digs.


NOTES
Sak's 59 service aces in 2010 tied for 10th most in school history and marked the highest total since Deanna Lowe had 69 in 1992 … Biessel, who finished with 993 assists this season, averaged 10.34 per set, fourth-best in school history … WSU has made the GLIAC Tournament in all three years under head coach Phil Nickel … Sak and Graciak were the only two Warriors to play in all 100 sets this season.