GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its weekly awards following Week 1 of the 2025 volleyball season. Wayne State senior Kayla Giroux was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, Parkside junior Natalie Harris was tabbed GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week and Wayne State junior Kayla Dulgar received GLIAC Setter of the Week accolades.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kayla Giroux, Wayne State
Kayla Giroux (Flat Rock, Mich.) received a GLIAC weekly honor for the fifth time (four offensive, one defensive) in her career on Monday after being named the Warrior Invitational All-Tournament Team MVP. The most recent offensive award comes after Giroux hit .487 during Wayne State's 4-0 season-opening week with 64 kills and only nine errors on 113 attacks. The senior middle hitter reached 1,000 kills for her career in the second match and led the Warriors to their first 4-0 start since 2021. Defensively, she registered 13 total blocks (one solo, 12 assisted) to go with two service aces in the tournament's finale and five-set victory over Winona State on Saturday.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Natalie Harris, Parkside
Parkside volleyball libero Natalie Harris has been named the first GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week of the 2025 season after a standout performance in the Rangers’ season-opening weekend. Harris anchored the back row as Parkside opened the 2025 campaign with a perfect 3-0 record, marking the program’s best start since 2012. Over three matches, she racked up 61 digs, averaging 5.55 digs per set — the top mark in the GLIAC and a figure that currently ranks among the top 20 in NCAA Division II. The junior libero was a difference-maker in each match, tallying 22 digs against both UIndy and Tiffin before closing the weekend with 17 digs in a sweep of Thomas More. Harris also made her presence felt at the service line, where she delivered 10 aces across the three matches.
SETTER OF THE WEEK: Kayla Dulgar, Wayne State
Kayla Dulgar (Warsaw, Ohio / River View) joined Giroux on the Warrior Invitational All-Tournament Team. Dulgar was responsible for 169 assists (10.56 per set), 55 digs (3.44 per set) and 10 total blocks (all assisted). She finished with a double-double (assists & digs) in three of the four matches as well. On the program's career assists chart, the junior moved up two spots from ninth to seventh with 2,292 career assists to her name.
HONORABLE MENTION
Offense: Abby Alan (Davenport), Brooke Dzwik (Michigan Tech), Sam Fisch (Parkside), Meghan O'Sullivan (Grand Valley State), Gabby Piazza (Ferris State), Chloe Vanwinkle (Saginaw Valley State), Madison York (Northern Michigan)
Defense: Emma Bleecher (Ferris State), Hayley Carr (Davenport), Julia Fledderjohn (Michigan Tech), McKenzie Gruner (Northern Michigan), Brianna Stawski (Grand Valley State), Katerina Stout (Wayne State), Kendall White (Saginaw Valley State)
Setter: Allie Barlow (Northern Michigan), Madison Berry (Davenport), Tess Hayes (Michigan Tech), Meghan O'Sullivan (Grand Valley State), Lucy Russ (Parkside), Jackie Scheiber (Saginaw Valley State), Hayley Wegener (Ferris State)
