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BAY CITY, Mich. - Northwood University sophomore outside hitter Juliia Pakhomenko (Donetsk,Ukraine) was named the 2012 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) volleyball “Player of the Year” in voting conducted by the league’s head coaches. Grand Valley State University outside hitter Betsy Ronda (Grand Rapids,  Mich./East Grand Rapids) was tabbed  “Freshman of the Year” while Ferris State University junior Brandie Merren (Hopkins, Mich.) earned “Libero of the Year” honors.  Northwood’s Tim Koth was named “Coach of the Year” by his peers.

    Pakhomenko stepped right into the Northwood lineup in her first year on the team and became a dominant force for the Timberwolves.  She currently ranks among the GLIAC leaders in kills (399 - second), kills per set (4.03 – second), aces per set (.51 – first), and attack percentage (.280 – ninth).   Pakhomenko registered at least 10 kills in 22 of 28 matches played and reached 19 kills on seven different occasions.  She also was a major contributor to the Northwood defense this season as well, finishing with at least 10 digs 15 times. A five-time GLIAC North Division “Player of the Week” this season, Pakhomenko is the fourth player in school history to earn GLIAC “Player of the Year” honors (Gorana Marcic -2005, Amy Gruszynski - 2002, Romana Morakova – 1999/2000).

    Ronda leads Grand Valley State in four statistical categories, while ranking seventh in the GLIAC with 3.17 kills per set. Ronda is tops on the Lakers in kills (336), attacks (975), service aces (29), and points per set (3.63). She also ranks second on the team in digs (334) and fourth in blocks (37). A true freshman, Ronda has started all 29 matches and played in all but one set in 2012. She has recorded 17 double-doubles this season, notched double-digit kills 21 times, and picked up 10 or more digs in 19 matches.
 
     Merren made the most of her first season as the squad’s libero as she compiled a team-leading 474 digs (4.51 avg.) during regular-season play.  Her efforts helped the Bulldogs post a 23-6 overall record in the regular-season and finish as the number two overall seed following a league championship campaign and NCAA Tournament berth a season ago.  Merren took over for 2011 GLIAC “Libero of the Year” Lisa Tobiczyk and has recorded only 28 reception errors in 502 attempts (.944) in 105 sets.  This season, she’s also posted the school’s second-most assists (73) and is third on the team in service aces (25).

    Picked to finish seventh in the GLIAC Preseason poll, Northwood head coach Tim Koth guided the Timberwolves to their first GLIAC Championship since 2001.  Northwood finished the season 17-1 in the GLIAC, matching the best GLIAC record at Northwood in school history.  NU has already earned 10 more wins overall than a year ago (23-13) and posted six more victories in GLIAC play.  Koth, now in his ninth season at the helm of the Timberwolves, has led his team to the No. 2 ranking in the Midwest Region.  Northwood also has earned six GLIAC “Players of the Week” this season, easily the most in the conference.  Koth joins Jeff Williams (2000) as the only two GLIAC “Coaches of the Year” in Northwood history.

A complete list of the 2012 All-GLIAC Volleyball teams can be found below: