GLIAC -- The Wayne State University volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) preseason poll as voted on by the league's coaches.  The Warriors enter year No. 10 under head coach Tim Koth after an overall record of 19-11 in 2022, which included a GLIAC mark of 12-6 and fourth-place finish in the league's final standings.

Two-time defending GLIAC Tournament champion Ferris State headlined the poll with 79 points and seven first-place votes while Grand Valley State (70 points and one first-place vote) and Northern Michigan (67 points and two first-place votes) rounded out the top three.  One spot above the Warriors in fourth place was Michigan Tech with 53 points.  The entire poll can be found below.
 
SEASON PREVIEW
Starting with the schedule, the Warriors are set to play a total of 29 regular season matches, including 27 against NCAA Midwest Region opponents, 18 as part of GLIAC action and nine at home inside the Matthaei Center.  The schedule gets underway on Sept. 1-2 in Big Rapids, Mich. with four matches in two days at the Ferris State Invitational.  WSU will make both its 2023 home and GLIAC debuts on Sept. 14 by hosting Ferris State for a 7 p.m. first serve.

Position wise, we start with the defensive specialists/liberos.  The lone returner in this group is sophomore Kendyl Andrews (Flushing, Mich.), but she'll be joined by redshirt junior Rochester University transfer Carly Rodman (Rochester Hills, Mich.) and freshman Maya Wegand (Kaukauna, Wis. / Little Chute).  Andrews appeared in 26 matches and 88 sets as a rookie while Rodman comes over after three seasons with the RU Warriors of the NAIA.  During that time, Rodman was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2021, two-time All-WHAC honoree (First Team and Second Team) and WHAC Libero of the Year in 2021 as well.

Wayne State carries a pair of returners at the setter position in redshirt sophomores Shay Bordine (Davisburg, Mich. / Clarkston) and Meah Potter (Holt, Mich. / Homeschooled). Bordine has appeared in just one set as a Warrior while Potter is looking to appear in her first match.  Those two will be joined by freshman Kayla Dulgar (Warsaw, Ohio / River View).

Back in the middle for the Warriors is the reigning AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year, GLIAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-GLIAC honoree, sophomore Kayla Giroux (Flat Rock, Mich.).  She's one of four returners in the group, along with senior Jenna Kray (Westerville, Ohio / Worthington Christian), junior Ella Uganski (Jenison, Mich.) and redshirt sophomore Leigha Baldwin (Perrysburg, Ohio).  Kray has played in 49 matches (39 starts) and 164 sets in her three seasons while Uganski has been on the court for 15 contests (4 starts) and 29 periods in her two campaigns.  Lastly, Baldwin transferred over from Purdue Fort Wayne prior to the 2022 season, but has yet to get on the floor.

Switching to outside hitters, redshirt senior Chloe Clark (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) and junior Keilyn Carpenter (Vermontville, Mich. / Maple Valley) are back for Wayne State.  Clark has amassed 23 matches and 46 sets played across three seasons while Carpenter has been on the hardwood for 19 matches and 31 sets in two years.  Those two will be joined on the edge by junior Madonna transfer Molly Miller (Oxford, Mich.) and a pair of freshmen in Katie Smith (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Eisenhower) and Aubree Garcia (Mount Pleasant, Mich.).

For opposites, senior Alexa Withun (Troy, Mich. / Athens) and redshirt senior Nicole Golder (New Baltimore, Mich. / Anchor Bay) return for WSU alongside rookie Jaide Wirth (Longwood, Fla. / Bishop Moore Catholic).  Withun already has 54 matches and 188 sets under her belt while Golder has accounted for eight matches and 10 sets played.