BIG RAPIDS – Graduating seniors on Ferris State University’s volleyball team will be competing for a national title while classmates are celebrating commencement on Friday, but President Bill Pink didn’t want them to miss out on the rite of passage.
Instead, Pink presided over a graduation ceremony for a quartet of student-athletes from the nationally top-ranked, 34-0 Bulldog volleyball team that has since traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to compete in the NCAA Division II National Championship, vying to bring a national championship trophy back to Big Rapids.
Pink welcomed graduating Ferris State seniors Chelsie Freeman, Olivia Henneman-Dallape, Kaylee Maat and Hannah Tecumseh for a special on-campus celebration of these December 2024 graduates who will miss the scheduled Friday, Dec. 13 ceremonies in Big Rapids.
“We are thrilled to send our undefeated volleyball champions to Sioux Falls this weekend to bring a national championship back to Ferris, but we also wanted to acknowledge the reason they are attending Ferris State University in the first place: to complete their degrees,” said Pink, who honored the team before its early Tuesday flight to South Dakota.
“Knowing that these four student-athletes would miss their own commencement to compete at the NCAA Division II National Championships, we felt it was important to give Hannah, Olivia, Chelsie and Kaylee the opportunity to celebrate their important academic achievements as well and to celebrate it with them.”
Freeman, a native of Amarillo, Texas, is graduating magna cum laude from the College of Arts, Sciences and Education with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Henneman-Dallape, of Oregon, Ohio, is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of Health Professions. Maat, from Hudsonville, Michigan, is graduating from the College of Arts, Sciences and Education with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Tecumseh, of Battle Creek, Michigan, is graduating from the College of Arts, Sciences and Education with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Pre-Optometry.
The president could not be prouder of these young women who are excelling on the court and in the classroom.
“Not only are they exemplary student-athletes, but they are also now Ferris graduates, and we could not be more proud,” Pink said.
On the volleyball court, Henneman-Dallape and Maat earned first-team all-region honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Freeman earned honorable mention recognition. Henneman-Dallape was the 2024 GLIAC Player of the Year, Maat was the GLIAC Setter of the Year. The duo earned first-team All-GLIAC accolades. Freeman garnered second-team All-GLIAC status.
Pink was joined by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bobby Fleishman and volleyball head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm.
The Bulldogs won the GLIAC regular-season championship and clinched the tournament title with a 3-0 sweep of Grand Valley State on Nov. 24, at Bulldog Arena in Big Rapids. The team won the NCAA Division II Midwest Region championship on Dec. 7 with a 3-2 win over the University of Findlay from Ohio in Big Rapids.
Seeded No. 1 overall in NCAA Division II Elite Eight, the Bulldogs open nationals with an 8 p.m. contest against Bentley at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The national semifinals will be Friday, Dec. 13, and the national championship match is Saturday, Dec. 14.
