Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University's volleyball team is set to begin its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play this weekend. The Warriors, with a current record of 2-5, will host Davenport University on Friday and the ninth-ranked Ferris State University on Saturday at the Matthaei Center in Detroit.

Head coach Tim Koth expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming matches, stating, "We're looking forward to opening the conference slate at home this weekend. The GLIAC always features extremely competitive, exciting volleyball and this weekend should be exactly the same!"

Davenport enters the competition with a 2-6 record under first-year head coach Charley Andrews. Andrews has a background as a student-athlete at Western Michigan and was an American Volleyball Coaches Association Diversity Award recipient in 2020. Key players for Davenport include freshman Rachel Youngblood and sophomore Abby Alan, who have contributed significantly to their team's offensive efforts.

In contrast, Ferris State boasts an undefeated 7-0 record under veteran head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm. The Bulldogs have maintained a strong performance, having made 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. This season, they return five All-GLIAC honorees from last year, including senior setter Kaylee Maat and senior outside hitter Olivia Henneman-Dallape.

The match against Davenport is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m., followed by the game against Ferris State on Saturday at 2 p.m.