The 2018 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Volleyball postseason awards have been announced after voting conducted by the league's coaches.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ferris State University junior outside hitter Allyson Cappel was chosen as the GLIAC Player of the Year for the second-straight season after guiding FSU to the program's fifth-straight league regular-season championship. A two-time All-American, Cappel has tallied a team-leading 356 kills to date this year along with 368 digs, 46 blocks and 23 aces as FSU's most versatile weapon. The three-time all-league honoree has helped guide FSU to a 24-4 overall record and the Bulldogs went a perfect 16-0 in the GLIAC, which represented their first unblemished mark in league action since 1990. Cappel has posted 24 double-figure efforts in kills this season and tallied 10 digs or more in 22 outings to date this season.
ATTACKER OF THE YEAR
Michigan Tech sophomore Olivia Ghormley has been rewarded with her breakout season by being named the GLIAC Attacker of the Year. A native of Oneida, Wisconsin, Ghormley has played in started in all 27 matches and played in 102 sets, totaling 470 kills and averaging 4.70 kills per set to rank her at the top of the GLIAC in each statistic and third in the country in kills per set, and hit at a .247 clip. A three-time GLIAC North Division Player of the Week, Ghormley has finished with double-digit kills in 26 matches and scored 20 or more kills in seven matches. Ghormley has also added 75 digs and 36 total blocks, making her a versatile player for the Huskies.
BLOCKER OF THE YEAR
Davenport senior Ashley VanderHorst was a dominant force for the Panthers throughout the season. The 6-1 middle blocker did it all for Davenport and helped the team earn their second consecutive GLIAC Tournament appearance. VanderHorst, during the regular season, led the Panthers in attack percentage (.317) (minimum 50 attempts), services aces (27) and total blocks (129). In addition, she was second on the team in kills with 262. She earned GLIAC South Player of the Week during the final week of the regular season for her impressive performance during wins over Purdue Northwest and Parkside. This is the first time a Panther has earned a GLIAC Player of the Year award for volleyball.
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Michigan Tech sophomore Laura DeMarchi has put up another stellar season to repeat as GLIAC Setter of the Year. In 27 matches and 96 sets this season, DeMarchi has posted 1,140 assists and averaged 11.88 assists per set, putting her at the top of the GLIAC in each statistic and third in the nation in assists per set. The Milan, Italy-born setter has posted 50 or more assists eight times this season, and has recorded 15 double-doubles this season. DeMarchi has also contributed on defense, recording 268 digs and averaging 2.79 digs per set, and in service with 22 aces and 0.23 aces per set.
LIBERO OF THE YEAR
Ferris State University senior libero Katie Placek has capped off a stellar career as one of the country's top performers in her first year in the role for the Bulldogs. A four-year letterwinner, Placek was chosen as the GLIAC's Libero of the Year after pacing the Bulldogs with 534 digs to date this year while becoming a member of the school's 1,000 career digs club. She's averaged 5.09 digs per set this campaign in helping the Bulldogs to a 24-4 overall record and a fifth-straight GLIAC Regular-Season Championship.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ashland setter Zoey Peck is the third player to win GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors in program history and the first since Alli Cudworth did it in 2013. Peck has played in every point for the Eagles this season as the team's lone healthy setter. She leads the GLIAC with 1,304 assists, which rank sixth on AU's all-time single-season list. Peck is second in the league with 11.34 assists per set and has helped the Eagles rank second in the conference with a .235 hitting percentage. Peck has 14 double-doubles on the season. She was named to the Midwest Region Crossover All-Tournament team and was selected as the GLIAC South Player of the Week on Oct. 15.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Ferris State University head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm led the nationally-ranked Bulldogs to the program's fifth consecutive GLIAC Regular-Season Championship this fall. The Bulldogs registered a perfect 16-0 mark in league action, which represented their first unblemished league mark since 1990. Under Brandel-Wilhelm's direction, FSU also advanced to the GLIAC Tournament for the 21st-straight year and is seeking its fifth-straight league tourney crown this year as the top seed. The Bulldogs are currently 24-4 overall to date this season and are a perfect 14-0 at home entering the GLIAC Semifinals. The 23rd-year head coach's squad is expected to receive the program's 11th NCAA Tourney berth in the past 14 seasons and the program's 13th overall under her direction. This year marks the sixth time in which Brandel-Wilhelm has been tabbed as the GLIAC Coach of the Year. The 2018 season represents the Bulldogs' eighth-straight 20-win campaign.
A complete list of the 2018 All-GLIAC volleyball teams is below:
2018 All-GLIAC Volleyball First Team | ||||
Name
|
School
|
Yr.
|
Pos. |
Hometown
|
Laura DeMarchi | Michigan Tech | So. | S | Milan, Italy |
Allyson Cappel | Ferris State | Jr. | OH | Tinley Park, Ill. |
Hailey Richardson | Wayne State | Sr. | OH | New Boston, Mich. |
Olivia Ghormley | Michigan Tech | So. | OH | Oneida, Wis. |
Shelby Woycik | Ashland | Jr. | OH | Lapeer, Mich. |
Staci Brower | Grand Valley State | Sr. | MB | Byron Center, Mich. |
Ashley VanderHorst | Davenport | Sr. | MB/RS | Caledonia, Mich. |
Maeve Grimes | Ferris State | Jr. | S | Westchester, Ill. |
Mariah Sherman | Michigan Tech | Sr. | RS | Midland, Mich. |
Emily Friesl | Saginaw Valley | So. | MH | Byron Center, Mich. |
Katie Placek | Ferris State | Sr. | L | Traverse City, Mich. |
Sarah Tabit | Saginaw Valley | Jr. | OH | Mt. Morris, Mich. |
2018 All-GLIAC Volleyball Second Team | ||||
Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Hometown |
Courtney Brewer | Ferris State | Jr. | OH | Muskegon, Mich. |
Zoey Peck | Ashland | Fr. | S | Homeworth, Ohio |
Katie O'Connell | Ferris State | So. | OH | Evergreen Park, Ill. |
Sarah Kuehn | Northern Michigan | Jr. | MB | Green Bay, Wis. |
Ellie Rodriguez | Wayne State | Sr. | DS | Grand Rapids, Mich. |
Reanne Neal | Ashland | Sr. | MB | Galion, Ohio |
Sophi Cudworth | Ashland | Jr. | MB/OH | Kent, Ohio |
Jenn Kay Vander Meer | Davenport | Jr. | RS | Grand Rapids, Mich. |
Kaitlin Bean | Ashland | Sr. | DS/L | Middlefield, Ohio |
Ann Leo | Parkside | Jr. | DS | Shorewood, Wis. |
Erin Krupar | Ashland | Fr. | OH | East Sparta, Ohio |
Lexie Calloway | Parkside | Sr. | OH | Greenfield, Wis. |
2018 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention Team | ||||
Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Hometown |
Michaela Ping | Ashland | R-Jr. | MH | Batavia, Ill. |
Hayley Kreiger | Davenport | Fr. | OH | South Haven, Mich. |
Mekayla Carey | Ferris State | Jr. | MH | Grand Haven, Mich. |
Ali Thompson | Grand Valley State | Fr. | MB/RS | Cincinnati, Ohio |
Paige Gotham | Lake Superior State | Sr. | L | Reese, Mich. |
Megan Utlak | Michigan Tech | So. | DS | Parma, Ohio |
Maggie Liebeck | Northern Michigan | Sr. | OH | Luxemburg, Wis. |
Brenna Murphy | Northwood | Sr. | L | Fort Gratiot, Mich. |
Jenna Pasko | Purdue Northwest | Sr. | RS | Lansing, Ill. |
Abbie Toland | Saginaw Valley | Jr. | L/DS | Maumee, Ohio |
Kamryn Duffield | Wayne State | Fr. | S | Romeo, Mich. |
Katie Adams | Parkside | Sr. | S/RS | Racine, Wis. |