BIG RAPIDS---The 2022 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball postseason awards have been announced following a vote by the league's coaches.

Northern Michigan University women did well at the banquet Thursday night, held in Big Rapids, where the conference semifinals and finals will be held this weekend.

NMU's Jackie Smith and Meghan Meyer were both named to the All-GLIAC First Team. Lizzy Stark and Lauren Van Remortel were named to the GLIAC Second Team, and Alli Yacko was an Honorable Mention Selection.

The Wildcats will face Grand Valley State in the semifinals at 6:30 Friday night. The match will be broadcast live on FM-94.1 in Marquette and FM-93.5/AM-600 in Escanaba.

The other semifinal will see Michigan Tech face top-seeded Ferris State.
 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Hayley Kreiger, Davenport

Hayley Kreiger is Davenport's first ever GLIAC Player of the Year and GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year. Now honored five times in as many seasons (Honorable Mention in 2018), Kreiger passed Krissy Dill (2014-17) to become Davenport's career kills leader in September, broke the program record for kills in a season in October and still leads all of Division II with 575 of them in November, a number that ranks sixth across all divisions. With 1,936 career kills to her name, Kreiger is first among active players for Division II and second across all divisions. A three-time GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honoree this fall, all of which were in a row, the South Haven native has sent home 20 or more kills 11 times, at least 25 of them on six occasions and racked up 34 on Wednesday breaking her own school record of 32. The 6-1 outside hitter has handled herself on the defensive end as well with a career high 334 digs and 18 double-doubles (10+ kills and digs).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kenzy Corstange, Davenport

Building on her Second-Team honor a season ago (first season as a libero), Kenzy Corstange jumped up to the First Team as a senior in 2022. A two-time GLIAC DPOW this season, Corstange leads the GLIAC in total digs (595), ranks third in digs per set (5.09) and comes in at ninth for all of Division II in total digs as well. The Richland native became the ninth member of Davenport's 1,000 digs club on Oct. 1 at Saginaw Valley State and has since risen to eighth on that list with 1,263, just 35 away from Kayla Vandermolen in seventh. This fall, along with digs, the 5-10 defender has also recorded new personal bests in assists (104), service aces (26) and sets played (117) without missing a single one. Her 595 digs this season are also good for third in DU history.

SETTER OF THE YEAR
Kaylee Maat, Ferris State

Ferris State University sophomore setter Kaylee Maat had a big year for the GLIAC Regular-Season Champion Bulldogs, compiling 1,242 assists to go with 309 digs and a squad-high 70 service aces for FSU. The third-year starter averaged 10.8 assists per set and started all 31 contests while playing in all 115 sets to date for the Bulldogs. Maat earned the GLIAC Setter of the Week Award seven times this fall and garnered all-tournament honors multiple times. Her play helped FSU win its seventh league regular-season championship in the past nine years as the Bulldogs posted a first-place 16-2 GLIAC mark. Ferris State is currently 22-9 overall heading into the league tournament semifinals.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Kayla Giroux, Wayne State

Freshman middle blocker Kayla Giroux (Flat Rock, Mich.) started all 18 GLIAC matches and played in all 65 sets during league play. She totaled 179 kills (2.75 kills/set), which ranked second on the squad and 15th in the GLIAC. Her .338 hitting percentage for conference matches ranked second in the GLIAC. Giroux recorded 57 blocks (11 solo, 46 assisted) in GLIAC play, which tied for second. She posted double-digit kill totals in 11 of the 18 conference matches, including a season-high 17 at Purdue Northwest.  Giroux helped the Warriors to a 12-6 conference mark and a fourth-place finish in the GLIAC standings.

COACH OF THE YEAR
Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, Ferris State

Ferris State University head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm guided the Bulldogs to their seventh league regular-season championship in the past nine years this season. Under her direction, the Bulldogs posted a first-place 16-2 league regular-season mark and are currently 22-9 overall entering the league semifinals. FSU is also presently ranked second in the Midwest Region and in position to earn its 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid under her watch.

This year’s GLIAC Championship was Ferris State’s 18th regular-season title in school history and ninth in the past 12 seasons. This season also marked the 11th consecutive time in which the Bulldogs clinched a quarterfinal-round home match in the GLIAC Tournament.