GLIAC -- The 2024 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Volleyball postseason awards have been announced following a vote by the league's coaches.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Olivia Henneman-Dallape, Ferris State
Ferris State University senior outside hitter Olivia Henneman-Dallape led the Bulldogs to the 2024 GLIAC Championship and an unbeaten regular-season. The senior standout has compiled a team-leading 402 kills to date this year while averaging 4.23 kills per set for a FSU squad that dropped only three sets in league regular-season play. Henneman-Dallape has posted a .339 attack percentage in 29 matches to date and has also registered 61 total blocks. The Bulldog veteran recorded her 1,000th career kill this year and was tabbed as the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week six times. Her play has helped the Bulldogs vault to first nationally in the AVCA Rankings and FSU has recorded a nation-best 29-0 mark this year.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Natalie Harris, Parkside
Parkside's Natalie Harris capped off a stellar sophomore campaign with the highest honor for a libero in the GLIAC: Defensive Player of the Year. She also earned a place on the First Team All-GLIAC, an upgrade from last season’s Second Team selection. Harris compiled an impressive 496 digs, which led both the Rangers and the conference. Her 4.96 digs per set also topped the conference leaderboard, marking an improvement from her freshman season. Harris recorded 11 matches with 20 or more digs. She began the season with a bang, tying her career high with 29 digs against Upper Iowa. On November 2nd, she surpassed that mark with 31 digs in a five-set match against Northern Michigan. However, her most impressive performance came on November 1st against Michigan Tech, where she recorded 23 digs in just three sets.
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Kaylee Maat, Ferris State
Ferris State University senior setter Kaylee Maat has helped guide Ferris State to a nation-best 29-0 overall record to date this year along with winning the GLIAC Regular-Season Championship and the right to host the league semifinals and finals this weekend. This year, Maat became the GLIAC’s all-time career assists leader with more than 5,000 assists in her career and has notched 943 assists to date this campaign, averaging nearly 10 assists per set. She’s started all 29 matches for a Bulldog squad that drooped only three sets in GLIAC regular-season play. Additionally, Maat has compiled 196 digs, 71 kills, 32 blocks and 29 aces on the year for the nation’s number one team. She was recognized as the GLIAC Setter of the Week five times this fall.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Gabby Piazza, Ferris State
Ferris State University freshman hitter Gabby Piazza has played a key role for the nation’s number one team in her initial collegiate campaign, helping FSU to a nation-best 29-0 overall record this fall. Piazza helped FSU win the GLIAC regular-season championship and produced 160 kills with a .302 attack percentage in 24 contests to date this year. She’s also added 19 blocks and 49 digs overall while appearing in 71 sets to date for a Bulldog squad that dropped only three sets in league regular-season play this year. Piazza reached double-digit kills in seven matches this season and her play has helped the Bulldogs claim the top spot in the latest NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings along with the top seed for the GLIAC Tournament.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, Ferris State
Ferris State University head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm has led the Bulldogs to one of the most historic seasons in school history as FSU has compiled a nation-leading 29-0 overall record to date this year and sits on top of the national rankings. Under Brandel-Wilhelm’s direction, Ferris State won the program’s 19th GLIAC Regular Season Championship this fall and FSU has now captured either the league regular season or tournament title in nine of the past 10 seasons to date. The Bulldogs also advanced to the GLIAC Tournament for the 27th consecutive year and recorded a perfect 17-0 GLIAC regular-season mark while dropping only three sets in conference play all year. FSU, which is the number one team in the latest NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Rankings, is expected to receive the program’s 13th-straight NCAA Tournament bid this year under Brandel-Wilhelm and the 28th in program history.
A complete list of the 2024 All-GLIAC volleyball teams is below:
2024 First Team All-GLIAC
Julia Blaney, Grand Valley State
Sam Fisch, Parkside
Jordyn Gates, Grand Valley State
Kayla Giroux, Wayne State
Natalie Harris, Parkside
Tess Hayes, Michigan Tech
Olivia Henneman-Dallape, Ferris State
Kaylee Maat, Ferris State
Claire Nowicki, Ferris State
Meg Raabe, Michigan Tech
Jacqueline Smith, Northern Michigan
Kendall Stover, Grand Valley State
2024 Second Team All-GLIAC
Abby Alan, Davenport
Allie Barlow, Northern Michigan
Kayla Dulgar, Wayne State
Syann Fairfield, Ferris State
Chelsie Freeman, Ferris State
Meghan Meyer, Northern Michigan
Molly Miller, Wayne State
Meghan O'Sullivan, Grand Valley State
Paige Sanders, Grand Valley State
Sarah Veale, Saginaw Valley State
Paige Wagner, Michigan Tech
Rachel Zurek, Michigan Tech
2024 Honorable Mention All-GLIAC
Hayley Carr, Davenport
Leah Bylut, Ferris State
Brianna Stawski, Grand Valley State
Gia Waters, Lake Superior State
Kaycee Meiners, Michigan Tech
Liesl Haugen, Northern Michigan
Mariena Coon, Parkside
Arra Cottrell, Purdue Northwest
Viktoria Marysheva, Roosevelt
Sage Schumacher, Saginaw Valley State
Kendyl Andrews, Wayne State
