Washing North Face jacket?

I have a north face fleece jacket, and after I washed and dried it once, it was totally ruined. The fleece isn't fuzzy like it is when I bought it, and its all like 'balled up'. I've tried everything, like using a tennis ball to dry it, cold wash, fabric softeners, and washing it inside out. I've even tried brushing it with a brush, which worked, but only stayed nice for the first 5 minutes I wore it. Is there anything I can do to make it better or at least keep it from getting worse?