The 2015 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Volleyball postseason awards have been announced after voting conducted by the league's coaches.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR & ATTACKER OF THE YEAR
Megan Vander Meer - Ferris State
Ferris State University senior outside hitter Megan Vander Meer led the Bulldogs to a second-straight GLIAC Championship and the program's 18th-straight conference tournament appearance this season. The returning All-American tallied a team-leading 325 kills in regular-season action and added 318 digs while hitting .281 for the campaign. She also added 44 blocks and came up with 25 service aces while earning both conference and national player of the week laurels this season. The four-year letterwinner led a balanced FSU lineup by posting 10 kills or more in 16 outings while notching double-figure digs in 18 contests. Her performance helped the Bulldogs to a 28-2 overall record in the regular-season along with a 17-1 league record in addition to a top-10 national ranking most of the year.
BLOCKER OF THE YEAR
Erin Holsinger - Hillsdale
Hillsdale College junior Erin Holsinger was named the GLIAC Blocker of the Year after turning in an outstanding campaign in 2015. Holsinger led the GLIAC with 1.23 blocks per set during the regular season. Her 129 total blocks rank her fifth on the school's single-season total blocks list, and she had 12 matches of six or more total blocks. Holsinger, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, set a season-high with 10 total blocks in a win over Pittsburgh-Johnstown back on Sept. 12. She is the first Charger to ever win this award.
LIBERO OF THE YEAR
Brooke Tiller - Saginaw Valley
Senior libero Brooke Tiller had a fantastic senior campaign to round out her career at Saginaw Valley. She becomes the program's first-ever GLIAC Libero of the Year after becoming SVSU's single-season and career record holder for digs. She now has 570 digs this season and 1,838 for her career. Tiller's 570 digs led the GLIAC and her 5.09 digs per set ranked third. She ranked second with 5.06 digs per set in league matches only and in digs with 344. She added 82 assists and 15 aces for the 2015 season as well.
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Stephanie Sikorski - Ferris State
Ferris State University junior setter Stephanie Sikorski was the catalyst in the Bulldogs' offensive attack this season. The three-year starter compiled 1,007 assists in the regular-season as the Bulldogs captured a second-straight GLIAC Championship. She also added nearly 200 digs with 105 kills and 51 blocks in the FSU lineup, helping the Bulldogs to a 28-2 regular-season mark and a 17-1 GLIAC finish. The 5-10 Sikorski posted more than 40 assists in six contests, including 64 in a victory at rival Grand Valley State. Her efforts helped lead the Bulldogs to the program's 18th consecutive conference tournament berth and a number one regional ranking. The Bulldogs have also been a top-10 team in the country, including reaching #1 in the nation at one point this season. Sikorski was both a GLIAC and AVCA National Player of the Week this fall.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Staci Brower - Grand Valley State
GVSU middle blocker Staci Brower becomes the fifth Laker to be named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year and just the third to do so since 1991. Brower leads the Lakers with 299 kills and 117 total blocks, while her blocking numbers are some of the best in the conference. She is second in the GLIAC in blocks per set (1.09), third in total blocks (117), fourth in solo rejections (27), and fifth in block assists (90). Her 1.27 blocks per set and 85 total blocks in GLIAC matches led the entire conference. Brower ranks 10th in the league in total points (382.0) and points per set (3.6) and is 13th with her 299 kills.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tia Brandel-Wilhelm - Ferris State
Longtime Ferris State University volleyball head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm directed the Bulldogs to the program's third GLIAC Championship in the last five seasons this fall. Under her guidance, the Bulldogs posted a 28-2 overall record in the regular season and went 17-1 in GLIAC play. Ferris State vaulted among the nation's top 10 teams much of the year, including reaching #1 in the nation for the first time at one point this season. FSU also captured the prestigious Colorado Premier Challenge Championship and earned its 18th consecutive conference tournament berth. The Bulldogs have been ranked number one in the region and are expected to receive their 10th NCAA Tournament berth under her direction this year. In addition, FSU posted its 18th-straight winning campaign and fifth-straight year with 20 more victories during the 2015 season.
A complete list of the 2015 All-GLIAC volleyball teams is below:
2015 All-GLIAC Volleyball First Team |
||||
Name
|
School
|
Year
|
Pos. |
Hometown / High School
|
Megan Vander Meer
|
Ferris State
|
Sr. | OH | Grand Rapids, Mich. / Homeschooled |
Alli Cudworth | Ashland | Jr. | OH | Kent, Ohio / Theodore Roosevelt |
Staci Brower | Grand Valley St. | Fr. | MB | Byron Center, Mich. |
Emily Wolfert | Hillsdale | Sr. | OH | Yorktown, Ind. / Yorktown |
Hannah Tong | Findlay | Jr. | OH | Carey, Ohio / Carey |
Julie Lyons | Findlay | Sr. | MB | Dover, Ohio / Dover |
Stephanie Sikorski | Ferris State | Jr. | S | Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester |
Kaylee Schmitt | Saginaw Valley | Jr. | MH | DeWitt, Mich. / DeWitt |
Kelly Vellucci | Saginaw Valley | Jr. | S | Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson |
Erin Holsinger | Hillsdale | Jr. | MH | Roanoke, Va. / Cave Spring |
Jacqueline Aird | Michigan Tech | Sr. | DS | Orland Park, Ill. / Mother McAuley |
Alex Berger | Northern Michigan | Sr. | L | Shakopee, Minn. / Shakopee |
2015 All-GLIAC Volleyball Second Team | ||||
Name | School | Year | Pos. | Hometown/High School |
Betsy Ronda | Grand Valley St. | Sr. | OH | Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Grand Rapids |
Alexis Huntey | Ferris State | Sr. | OH | Stanwood, Mich. / Morley-Stanwood |
Nickyla Garverick | Findlay | So. | MB | Crestline, Ohio / Colonel Crawford |
Danielle Dowd | Ferris State | Sr. | L | Manhattan, Ill. / Lincoln-Way Central |
Casey Clark | Ashland | Jr. | OH | Indianapolis, Ind. / Warren G. Harding |
Caroline Heitzman | Ferris State | Sr. | MH | Newaygo, Mich. / Fremont |
Madison Whitehead | Northern Michigan | So. | LS/MH | Altoona, Wis. / Altoona |
Tory Thompson | Ohio Dominican | Sr. | OH | Quincy, Ohio / Riverside |
Krysta Kramer | Northwood | Sr. | OH | Lansing, Mich. / Grand Ledge |
Hannah Moore | Wayne State | So. | OH | Louisville, Ky. / Assumption |
Lauren Emmert | Michigan Tech | So. | MB | Northbrook, Ill. / Glenbrook |
Brooke Tiller | Saginaw Valley | Sr. | L | Maumee, Ohio / Maumee |