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WSU BEGINS STRETCH DRIVE WITH HOME WEEKEND
The Wayne State University volleyball team (13-7 overall, 7-2 GLIAC) heads into the final stretch of the regular season leading South Division rival Ashland by one game with only four weeks remaining.  The Warriors are 5-0 at home this season but will face a pair of strong North Division squads this weekend at the Matthaei in Grand Valley (16-4 overall, 6-3 GLIAC) and 26th-ranked Ferris State (15-5 overall, 8-1 GLIAC).


AT THE HELM
Phil Nickel is in his fifth season as Wayne State's head volleyball coach and has a record of 78-54.  In his seven-year career, which includes two seasons at Thomas More College, Nickel is 112-97.

GVSU head coach Deanne Scanlon is in her 18th year leading the Laker volleyball program.  During her tenure, she has compiled a 459-139 record including 17 straight winning seasons.

FSU head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm is in her 17th season leading the Bulldog volleyball program.  During her tenure, she has guided Ferris to seven NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances, which includes five of the last eight seasons.


SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State trails 15-31 in the all-time series against Grand Valley.  The road team has won four of the last five matches.  The Lakers have a 13-2 mark in the last 15 matches against the Warriors, but WSU has been victorious in two of the last three meetings.

Wayne State trails 13-37 in the all-time series versus Ferris State.  The Bulldogs have won the last three matches, two of which came in the GLIAC Tournament.  The Warriors snapped a five-match regular-season home losing streak against FSU with a 3-2 victory on Sept. 25, 2010.


SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Grand Valley ranks second in the league in kills per set (13.17) after nine league matches and the Lakers are third in service aces (1.66 per set).  Junior Abby Ebels ranks sixth in the conference in hitting percentage (.350), while freshman Betsy Ronda is also sixth in kilss per set (3.49).  Sophomore setter Clair Ruhenkamp is sixth in assists per set (9.71).  GVSU has won its last four league matches and seven overall since a five set loss to Ferris State on Sept. 25.

Ferris State had won eight straight matches, all in the GLIAC, before dropping two of three at the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover last weekend.  Anne Sutton leads the Bulldogs with 211 kills and a .397 hitting percentage.  Setter Samantha Fordyce is averaging nearly 10 assists per set, while Brandie Merren has 332 digs.  FSU leads the conference in league hitting percentage (.295), with Sutton (.427) and Angi Kent (.397)ranking 1-2 in hitting.


CROSSOVER RECAP
Wayne State went 1-2 at the GLIAC/GLVC Crossover in Aurora, Ill., which was ultimately won by the Great Lakes Valley Conference, 28-20.

The Warriors fell in four sets to the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Friday afternoon.  Candice Ottey hit .481 with 15 kills and five blocks.  Madie Kent finished with 16 kills and 10 digs.

WSU notched a 3-1 victory over the University of Southern Indiana (10-10) on Friday evening.  Wayne State totaled a season-high 66 kills, led by Kristen Bulkiewicz who hit .378 with 21 kills and six blocks.  Kent hit .343 with 18 kills and 11 digs for her eighth double-double of the season.

The Warriors dropped a three-set match to ninth-ranked University of Indianapolis (19-3) on Saturday afternoon.  WSU hit .253 in the match, while the Greyhounds had a .350 team hitting percentage, and out-blocked the Warriors, 12-4.Bulkiewicz had a .417 hitting percentage with 13 kills.  Kent chipped in 11 kills and six digs.  The two tied for the team lead with 45 kills on the weekend.

Setter Cydney Biessel was voted to the All-Tournament Team.  She averaged 12.45 assists per set in Wayne State's three matches.  She had 51 assists in Friday's opener against Missouri-St. Louis, and 52 assists along with nine digs later that evening in a four-set win over Southern Indiana.  She totaled 34 assists and contributed three kills Saturday against No. 9 Indianapolis.

Lindsey Graciak moved into third place in career digs last weekend passing Erika von Grabe (1993-96), who had 1,306 digs in her Tartar career.


BLOCKING OUT BREAST CANCER
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