DETROIT -- The Wayne State University volleyball team (4-6 overall, 0-2 GLIAC) will face the top-ranked squad in the country for the first time in over eight years on Tuesday night in Big Rapids, Mich.  The Warriors will take on No. 1 Ferris State (10-2 overall, 2-0 GLIAC) with the first serve scheduled for 6 p.m. inside the Bulldogs' Ewigleben Sports Arena.

Coach's Corner
"We're looking forward to another GLIAC rivalry match," said head coach Tim Koth.  "Ferris State is an outstanding team that's playing well.  We will need to be at our best."

We Meet Again
As mentioned above, Wayne State will go head to head with the top-ranked team in the country for the first time since facing No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul back on August 24, 2018.  The last time WSU saw Ferris State was on the Bulldogs' floor on November 23, 2025 when the Warriors won three sets to one and claimed the first GLIAC Tournament Championship in program history.  That victory snapped a six-match skid for Wayne State in the two teams' all-time series, a stretch of which came after WSU won in Big Rapids back on October 20, 2022.

Warrior Way
Starting on offense, junior Saige Martin (Westphalia, Mich. / Pewamo-Westphalia) has spearheaded the WSU attack so far with 130 kills (.185 hitting percentage), 17 more than the next-closest Warrior in senior Katie Smith (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Eisenhower).  Also of note in the kill department have been Smith with 113 (.254) and sophomore Katerina Stout (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota) with 89 (.286).  As always, running point has been senior setter Kayla Dulgar (Warsaw, Ohio / River View), who ranks 10th in Division II for assists per set (10.41) and 15th for total assists (406).  Behind the service line, Dulgar has asserted herself there as well with a team-best 12 aces, two more than Smith.

Switching over to the defensive side of the ball, as expected, freshman Giselle Burlingame (Northville, Mich.) has been the most active with a squad-leading 122 digs and just over three per set.  Also in that conversation have been sophomore Lauren Essenpreis (Amherstburg, Ont. / North Star S.S.) and Dulgar, each with 86, as well as Martin with 76.  Above the net, Stout has been the most valuable Green and Gold performer and by a wide margin thanks to her 39 total blocks (six solo).  That number is good for 45th in the nation.  Others with double-digit total stuffs so far include Martin with 22, junior Nicole Dupre (Lake Mary, Fla. / Seminole) with 18, Smith with 17, and Dulgar with 14.

Scouting Ferris State
Ferris State is head coached by 31st-year veteran Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, who owns an overall record of 707-252 in those 30-plus seasons, good for a winning percentage of 73.7 percent.  Her most-recent squad is among the top 25 nationally in four major categories, including second in kills per set (15.19), second in hitting percentage (.358), ninth in assists per set (13.44), and 23rd in opponent hitting percentage (.121).  The Bulldogs won all 27 of their sets played through their first nine matches played before escaping Parkside on Friday, three sets to two.

Individually, everything runs through junior setter Hayley Wegener for Ferris State.  Wegener is fourth in the country in assists per set (11.31, first in the GLIAC) and 34th in total assists (362).  Her and the Bulldogs' top attacker has been junior outside hitter Gabby Piazza, who ranks ninth in Division II for points per set (4.82, first in the GLIAC) and 12th in kills per set (4.19).  With that being said, junior middle hitter Lyndsey Urick is first in the league and second nationally in hitting percentage at .469.  Junior outside hitter Emily May is also 14th in the country for hitting efficiency (.434).  Behind the service line, senior setter Corrie Wisser is the only player on the team with double-digit aces thanks to 11 of them.  Defensively, sophomore libero Hope Davies (127 digs), Urick (28 total blocks) and senior middle hitter Lilly Peterson (22 total blocks) are the ringleaders.