Hey there! On this week of Ferris Sports update we will be covering Ferris State football, women’s volleyball, and women’s soccer. This week, Rob Bentley will be catching up with coaches and players from all 3 teams to get the scoop on the start of the season.
Ryan Hodges
First, Rob talked with Ryan Hodges, the defensive coordinator for Ferris Football. They talked about their tough game against Pittsburg State. Ryan talked about how it was a good challenge and tough match up that would help the players. The trip was something that they covered and how it affected the players overall, Ryan said the players adapted very well to the travel. They talked about how the team had some improvements to work on, but they had a good start and there are many things they believe they can work on and make the team better overall. Their next game will be a home game against Lake Erie. They touch on the fact that Lake Erie has some fresh faces on the coaching staff. Ryan said they won’t let it affect their performance and it comes down to the players on Ferris to be comfortable and play their game. Ryan talks about making sure they don’t leave too many plays on the table and to close out some of the plays they need to win games. Ryan mentions the progressive work it takes to make the players better and puts an emphasis on improvement over time.
Photo By Kevin McDermott
Lindsey Cole
Next Rob caught up with Lindsey Cole, a senior on the Ferris Soccer team. Rob mentioned the first game at home against Cedarville. Lindsey talks about how they had a strong preseason, and they are full of energy going into the regular season. Rob talks about the experience that some of the seniors had in the final four a couple of years ago and how that leadership has helped them improve as a team. Lindsey is excited to play at home for their first game and how exciting it is to see family and friends at the games. The goals the team have are to win the GLIAC league and to improve everyday as a team and be consistent. Lindsey talks about the growth of herself and teammates through her time here at Ferris. She talks about her degree in Biology and her goals for what she wants to do after graduation.
Photo By Kevin McDermott
Tia Brandel-Wilhem
Last to make an appearance on the show was the head coach of Ferris State Volleyball, Tia Brandel-Wilhem. The team is headed down to West Texas A&M this week for tournament action. Brandel-Wilhem describes that she does not know how ready the team is to jump back into play, but the games are there, and they will play to the best of their ability. Games begin in Texas starting on Thursday, September 5 against West Texas A&M, and will proceed the next two days with Texas A&M INT’L on Friday, and West Virginia State on Sunday to close out the weekend. Brandel-Wilhelm believes that this is a great opportunity for the team to get acclimated to playing on the road and increase their gameplay for when they visit other teams.
Photo By Kevin McDermott
Team Updates
To close off the season last spring, the team traveled across the Atlantic to Spain for a getaway and international gameplay. The trip proved to be an integral end to a long year of play. It was a chance for senior leaders and the rest of the team to bond and become closer as a group of players. “I’ve never been more proud of a team and group of women before” said Brandel-Wilhelm. Crossing international lines was a perfect conclusion to a hard-fought season and a crucial transition to this year.
Four new freshmen are being added to the roster this year and their blend into the team has been seamless. Brandel-Wilhelm feels that it would be difficult to pick out who the four freshmen are if someone were to try and hadn’t known the team beforehand. They have created close relationships with the rest of the team and look to be key assets for the team’s future. This is all in direct contrast to the 8 seniors that will be leading the team this year. The mixture of classes seems to be a strong part of what the team will be in the fall.
Leading into the season, the team has seen more of its players involved in community efforts as described by Brandel-Wilhelm. Many of them, including freshmen, have helped put on camps for young kids to learn and get experience with volleyball at Bulldog Arena. Not only was this great for the kids, but it has helped the team to grow and mature outside of their on-court performances. The Bulldogs aren’t due to start their season at home till the month of October. A couple exhibition games will be good for the team to find their grove early on and Brandel-Wilhelm hopes her team will be ready for the first game of the season and go from there.