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Nov. 15, 2008 (For immediate release)

BAY CITY, Mich. -- Grand Valley State University senior outside hitter Danielle Alexander (Newport, Mich./Carelton Airport) was named the 2008 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) volleyball "Player of the Year" in voting conducted by the league's head coaches. Hilldale College's Ashlee Crowder (Jension, Mich.) was tabbed "Freshman of the Year," whileWayne State University senior Mayssa Bazzi (Dearborn, Mich./Schoolcraft C.C.) earned "Libero of the Year" honors. Grand Valley State's Deanne Scanlon was named "Coach of the Year" by her peers.

Alexander leads the Lakers with 348 kills, a .338 hitting percentage, and 120 total blocks. The senior middle blocker ranks third in the GLIAC in hitting percentage, fourth in blocks, and seventh in kills for the 27-3 Lakers. In her career, Alexander is second in GVSU history in block assists (352), seventh in total blocks (413) and 10th in kills (1,081).

Alexander has been named GLIAC "Player of the Week" three times this season, making that six player of the week awards during her career. On Oct. 21, she became the first player in GVSU history to be named the AVCA Division II "National Player of the Week" for her efforts at the GLVC-GLIAC Crossover. Alexander has recorded double-digit kills in 20 matches and notched at least one block in all but one match this season. The senior has led Grand Valley State to a 22-match winning streak this year and the Lakers were ranked as high as #2 in the AVCA national poll.

Crowder finished the regular season with 333 kills, a school record total for a freshman, ranking third in the GLIAC at the end of the regular season. She is the first Charger player since Taryn Rudland in 2003 to be named GLIAC Freshman of the Year. Crowder had double-digit figures in kills in her last 10 consecutive matches, and recorded 10 or more kills in 22 of the team's 30 matches this season. Her season-high for kills was 17, achieved against Tiffin Oct. 25 and Saginaw Valley State Oct. 11. She also led Hillsdale with 25 service aces this season, and had a .254 hitting percentage. Her 3.43 kills per set rank her fourth on Hillsdale's career list, and she was fifth in the GLIAC with 3.90 points per game.

Bazzi enters Saturday's GLIAC semifinal with 446 digs on the year, ninth-most in Wayne State history, and her 4.25 digs/set average ranks third in the conference and seventh all-time at WSU. In just two years as a Warrior, Bazzi has become one of the most prolific defensive players in school history, having accumulated 1,102 digs in her career, which ranks sixth. The school record holder with 656 digs last season, Bazzi's 5.75 career digs average is the highest in the 34 years of Wayne State volleyball. Bazzi is the second Warrior to earn Libero of the Year honors, following Sei Hee Hwang in 2004.

Scanlon led the Lakers to a 26-3 regular season record, including a 15-1 GLIAC mark in 2008. It is the eighth time in her career that GVSU has won the GLIAC North Division championship and this weekend, the Lakers look to win their fifth GLIAC Tournament title during Scanlon's tenure. Grand Valley State was ranked as high as #2 in the national polls this season and tied the school-record with a 22-match win streak. GVSU has also won 31 consecutive matches at home, which is the all-time program record.

During her 14-year career at GVSU, Scanlon has a winning percentage of .790 (380-101) and owns an .814 mark (206-47) in GLIAC play. The Lakers have won 25 matches for the 10th straight season under Scanlon, who was also the GLIAC Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2005. GVSU is three wins shy of its sixth 30-win season with Scanlon at the helm. The last time that the Lakers won less than 20 matches in a season was 1997.

A complete list of the 2008 All-GLIAC Volleyball teams is below: