GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its weekly awards following Week 7 of the 2024 volleyball season. Purdue Northwest junior outside hitter Arra Cottrell was recognized as GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, Grand Valley State senior libero Julia Blaney won GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors and Northern Michigan sophomore setter Allie Barlow received GLIAC Setter of the Week accolades.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Arra Cottrell, Purdue Northwest
Junior Arra Cottrell was an offensive superstar for the Pride at the Midwest Regional Crossover. Over the weekend, Arra tied a school record with 21 kills in a match. In her next match, broke the school record with 24 kills in a match. Overall, Arra had 58 kills averaging 4.46 kills a set and 5 pts a set overall to help The Pride to a 2-1 record at the crossover. Arra also recently became PNW's all-time kill leader since the school went NCAA Division 2. Arra also earned the honor of being name to the Midwest Regional Crossover All-Tournament team.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Julia Blaney, Grand Valley State
GVSU senior libero Julia Blaney has been named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time this season and the second time in her career. Blaney totaled 67 digs over the weekend at the Midwest Region Crossover Tournament to help the Lakers go 3-0. Her 5.58 digs per set ranked her fifth across the entire tournament. She had 25 digs in the victory over Walsh Friday morning, then followed that up with a season-high 30 digs in the win over Lewis. On Saturday, Blaney tallied 12 digs and three service aces to help the Lakers upset #11 UMSL. She moved into 10th place all-time for career digs at 1,218 following her performance this weekend.
SETTER OF THE WEEK: Allie Barlow, Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan sophomore Allie Barlow was named the GLIAC Setter of the Week following an impressive weekend at the Midwest Regional Crossover Tournament. Barlow helped guide the ‘Cats to a 2-1 record with wins over Findlay and UIndy on Friday. In those wins, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa native recorded a career-best 52 assists in a five-set thriller with Findlay and followed it up with 48 more a few hours later in a four-set triumph of UIndy for an even 100 on the day. She would add 31 more against Rockhurst for a weekend total of 131. Additionally, she added 14 kills, five aces, 23 digs, and a block over the three matches. Barlow paces conference setters with 738 assists this season, a top-30 mark nationally. She also surpassed 1,000 career assists over the weekend.
HONORABLE MENTION
Offense: Alan Abby (Davenport), Aleksandra Barac (Roosevelt), Morgan Deming (Lake Superior State), Jordyn Gates (Grand Valley State), Kayla Giroux (Wayne State), Olivia Henneman-Dallape (Ferris State), Cola Sisk (Saginaw Valley State), Jacqueline Smith (Northern Michigan).
Defense: Kendyl Andrews (Wayne State), Leah Bylut (Ferris State), Liesl Haugen (Northern Michigan), Sage Schumacher (Saginaw Valley State), Livia Thomsen (Purdue Northwest), Giselle Wiitanen (Lake Superior State).
Setter: Olivia Brooke (Purdue Northwest), Kayla Dulgar (Wayne State), Jordyn Gates (Grand Valley State), Avery Headworth (Lake Superior State), Kaylee Maat (Ferris State), Jackie Scheiber (Saginaw Valley State)
