BIG RAPIDS - The Ferris State volleyball team is 26-0 heading into the final two games of the regular season. The Bulldogs have lost just three sets in GLIAC play so far this year. The team is led by eight seniors who have all contributed large amounts to the team’s success, and what makes the group so special is that every player plays for each other.
“The goals and the standards we have for ourselves this year is just higher and it’s a lot different than normal. So it’s us, it’s what we’re doing each and every day. It’s how we’re holding ourselves together, it’s just the environment we’ve created among each other,” said junior Emma Bleecher.
Bulldogs head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm is in her 29th year at the head of the Bulldogs program, and in the past 10 years she has claimed nine GLIAC tournament championships. The 26-0 record this year would seem to be just the start of something for this group.
“None of us work for the start of your season. We’re always working for what happens in November and December. So, you know, it’s cool where we are, but we learn from the past and we grow no matter whether we win or lose. We learn from it, we get better,” said Brandel-Wilhelm.
For fifth-year senior Kaylee Maat, she knows that the undefeated record thus far is just the beginning.
“it’s cool. But not what we’re really going for, we have bigger goals than that. Like, everybody’s, oh, you guys are undefeated. We’re like, yeah, cool, that’s not one of our goals though,” said Maat.
The Bulldogs will finish the regular season this weekend before the GLIAC tournament begins the following week.