DETROIT -- After going 2-1 at the 15th annual Midwest Regional Crossover, the Wayne State University volleyball team (7-13 overall, 2-7 GLIAC) will play at home this week for the first time since Sept. 23. The Warriors will resume GLIAC play against the likes of Northern Michigan on Friday (7 p.m.) and Michigan Tech the following Saturday (4 p.m.).
COACH KOTH
"After being on the road for eight-straight matches, we are very much looking forward to a home weekend against two very good opponents. It should be fun!"
LAST TIME OUT - OHIO DOMINICAN (19-25, -19, -23, -27)
- Wayne State trailed by as many as nine, 21-12, in the first set before scoring six-straight times to pull within three, 21-18.
- However, Ohio Dominican notched four of the five ensuing points to seal the period and a 1-0 match lead.
- The second stanza saw the Warriors score seven of the first nine total points.
- The Panthers eventually utilized an 8-1 spurt to tie the period up for the first time at 17-17.
- WSU was able to slam the door shut, though, thanks to seven of the next nine points.
- The third set was one of runs as both teams held a lead of four at different times.
- ODU was clinging to a one-point advantage, 21-20, before WSU closed it out with a 5-2 burst.
- The fourth stanza was the Warriors' best offensively at .475 (20 kills, 1 error, 40 swings).
- With that being said, it was a tight back-and-forth affair that saw 18 ties and six lead changes.
- Looking to close out the match, Wayne State was down one, 27-26, before rattling off three straight to win the match.
LEADING THE WARRIORS
The Wayne State offense has been paced by Giroux so far this fall. Right now, Giroux's hitting efficiency sits at .378, second best in the league, as she's racked up 212 kills to 51 errors on 426 total attacks. Also factoring into the Warrior attack has been a newcomer in
Molly Miller with a team-leading 232 kills (fifth in the GLIAC) as well as
Ella Uganski with 112. Miller's fellow newbie
Katie Smith is also above the century mark in kills with 104. Miller has started all 20 of the team's matches like Giroux. The third and final Warrior to have been in every starting lineup is
Kayla Dulgar and her 707 assists, 9.82 per set, both of which rank second in the conference.
Kendyl Andrews' 26 service aces rank in a tie-for-sixth in the league while Dulgar's 25 are close behind her in a tie-for-eighth. Defensively, Andrews ranks second in the GLIAC in digs with 306 while Giroux is slotted in 10th in total blocks with 53.
GLIAC SETTER OF THE WEEK
Dulgar was named GLIAC Setter of the Week for the first time in her career on Monday. During Wayne State's 2-1 week at the Midwest Region Crossover, the freshman racked up 135 total assists and 12.3 per set. She finished with 40 or more of them in three-straight matches for the second time this season (Sept. 8-9), including totals of 44, 45 and 46. Dulgar has finished a match with at least 30 assists in 14 contests and notched 40 or more in seven outings.
SCOUTING NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Led by former Wayne State assistant and seventh-year head coach Mike Lozier (107-74 overall, 62-42 GLIAC), Northern Michigan enters this week with the same overall record as Wayne State at 7-13. The Wildcats have gone 4-5 halfway through the GLIAC schedule and won four of their last six matches. NMU's Meghan Meyer is the team's lone player to have started all 20 of their matches while accumulating 179 kills and a .345 hitting percentage, both of which lead her squad. The Wildcats are also paced by Lauren Van Remortel (513 assists), Liesl Haugen (23 service aces, 263 digs) and McKenzie Gruner (36 total blocks).
SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH
Michigan Tech is coached by 12th-year man Matt Jennings (200-140 overall, 121-70 GLIAC) and enters Friday with an overall record of 9-11, 5-4 in league action. The Huskies went 2-1 at the Crossover and have been on the right side of the scoreboard in five of their last seven contests. Individually, MTU's been headlined by Lindy Oujiri (257 kills - second in the GLIAC), Tess Hayes (684 assists - fourth in the GLIAC), Brooke Dzwik (17 aces), Amelia Albers (201 digs), Alayna Corwin (200 digs) and Kaycee Meiners (78 total blocks - first in the GLIAC).
