Box Score The Ashland University volleyball team has the fever.
However, it was the Ferris State Bulldogs who needed the aspirin.
In match that was played at a playoff pitch, the Eagles held off Ferris State, 3-2 on Friday night (Oct. 11) at Kates Gymnasium.
The win was Ashland's sixth straight and gives the Eagles a 13-3 record, 7-1 in the GLIAC. Ferris State, ranked 20th in the country, is 12-4 and 7-1. This loss ended an eight-match win streak for the Bulldogs.
FSU has been among the top teams in the GLIAC and Midwest Region for a number of years. That's one reason why AU players jumped for joy and raced onto the court after the win. This was also the Eagles' first win over FSU during the three-year tenure of head coach Cass Dixon. A year ago, the Bulldogs downed the Eagles, 3-0.
The Eagles are in first place in the GLIAC South Division and look like they are in position to be included among the region's top teams. But the next three weeks will reveal a great deal about the top teams in the Midwest. AU hosts Grand Valley State, ranked 21st in the nation, on Saturday (Oct. 12, 6 p.m.). Next weekend, the Eagles go to Northwood and Hillsdale. After that comes the GLIAC-GLVC Crossover. Friday's win is an impressive start, but it's far from a done deal.
Ashland won this bout with FSU, 15-25, 25-23, 25-22, 18-25, 15-11. The Bulldogs looked unstoppable in the first set. The Eagles led once, at 3-2.
In the second set, AU got five kills from Alli Cudworth and three kills each from Baley Bernthisel and Maureen Johnson. The contest was tied, 16-16, 19-19 and 20-20. The Eagles scored the next three points on an ace by Shelly DeHenning, an attack error by FSU's Alexis Huntey and a kill by Cudworth.
FSU rallied to get to within 24-23 before a Bernthisel kill ended the set.
The third set was knotted, 16-16 when AU scored the next three points for a 19-16 lead. The Eagles never gave up the lead and FSU got no closer than two points the rest of the way.
The Bulldogs scored the first six points in the fourth set and never looked back. That set the stage for the the deciding set where Ashland grabbed an 8-4 advantage.
The Eagles were clinging to an 11-10 lead after a kill by Huntey. A kill by Cudworth made it 12-10 and AU scored the next two points on aces by Kate Eckels. A Casey Clark kill finished off the 'Dogs.
Cudworth led all players in the match with 17 kills. Bernthisel and Samantha Zuber had 10 kills each. Marci Zegarac had 26 digs, Megan Rohlfs had 19 digs and Clark had 17 digs. Johnson gave the Eagles a lift with seven kills, two block solos and three block assists. DeHenning had 48 assists and nine digs.
Huntey led FSU with 16 kills. Courtney Rehm had 13 kills and 13 digs. Brandie Merren had 27 digs.
AU
VB/ALK
