DETROIT -- The Wayne State University volleyball program is set to open its 2023 season this Friday and Saturday at the Ferris State Invitational in Big Rapids, Mich. The Warriors will play four matches in two days, including the likes of Malone (9:30 a.m.) and Thomas More (3 p.m.) on Friday before Indianapolis (9 a.m.) and No. 8 Minnesota Duluth (3:30 p.m.) on Saturday.
COACH KOTH
Koth is beginning his 29th year of collegiate coaching and 10th at Wayne State with a WSU record of 131-111.
"We are very much looking forward to the great competition we will face this weekend in Big Rapids," said Koth. "The team has been training well and improving throughout the course of the pre-season segment. Now we get to apply everything we have learned about ourselves to the competitive environment ... and see how we do and where we are at in the bigger scheme of things."
RETURNING LEADERS
The program brings back 11 returners, 10 of which are letterwinners, including sophomore middle blocker
Kayla Giroux. Giroux is the reigning AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year, GLIAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-GLIAC honoree. Those that logged time in 2022 and are back for this fall include sophomore defensive specialist
Kendyl Andrews, senior opposite
Alexa Withun, redshirt senior outside hitter
Chloe Clark, junior middle blocker
Ella Uganski, senior middle blocker
Jenna Kray, junior outside hitter
Keilyn Carpenter, redshirt senior opposite
Nicole Golder, and redshirt sophomore setter
Shay Bordine. Other returners include redshirt sophomore middle blocker
Leigha Baldwin and redshirt sophomore setter
Meah Potter.
NEW FACES
Coach Koth has brought in seven newcomers, including five freshmen and a pair of transfers. The five rookies are setter
Kayla Dulgar, outside hitter
Katie Smith, opposite
Jaide Wirth, outside hitter
Aubree Garcia, and defensive specialist
Maya Wegand. Joining those five are redshirt junior defensive specialist
Carly Rodman, who has come from Rochester University and junior outside hitter
Molly Miller, who came from Madonna.
GLIAC PRESEASON POLL
Wayne State was picked to finish fifth in the GLIAC preseason coaches poll with 51 points. 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
HERE.
ABOUT MALONE
Malone was selected to finish fifth out of seven teams in the North Division of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), a league that features 14 squads total. The Pioneers finished their 2022 season with an overall record of 11-19, 7-11 in G-MAC play, and enter season No. 3 under head coach Rafael Gonzalez (21-37 record). A player to watch will be junior defensive specialist Macy McCauley out of North Canton, Ohio, a Third Team All-G-MAC honoree last fall. Last season, McCauley led the team with 554 total digs (fourth-best total in the conference) and 5.23 digs per set (second-best mark in program history). Wayne State is 1-4 all-time against Malone and Friday's meeting will be the teams' first on a neutral court.
ABOUT THOMAS MORE
Also in the G-MAC and fresh out of the NAIA ranks, Thomas More was slotted sixth for the North Division of the league's preseason poll. Saints head coach Holly Bronner Stiver enters her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater (51-31 record) after going 17-12, 10-4 in the Mid-South Conference, in 2022. Two of the Saints four All-Conference players return to the court this season in junior defensive specialist Asia Ferrando and junior setter Sam McClanahan. They were both First Team All-MSC selections, while McClanahan was also named NAIA All-Southeast Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS
Out of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), and picked to finish sixth in that 14-team league, comes Indianapolis. The Greyhounds went 13-14 in 2022, including a 6-6 record in GLVC matches, and are coached by 10-year veteran Jason Reed (164-134 record). All-GLVC Second Team honoree Grace Hegwood returns for UIndy after recording 2.88 kills and 2.49 digs per set a season ago. Claire Morris, the lone setter back for the Hounds, dished out 6.9 assists per set as a rookie, while also collecting 38 kills and four service aces. A key threat in the middle, Hannah Sabotin enters her fourth season after hitting .302 and totaling 90 blocks in 2022. The Columbus, Ind., native ranked second on the team with 285 points. The Warriors and Greyhounds have met seven times with UIndy on the right side in six of them.
ABOUT MINNESOTA DULUTH
Perhaps the most experienced team in the Ferris State Invite's field, Minnesota Duluth lost only one starter from a season ago and returns 78% of its offensive output from 2022. The Bulldogs ranked fourth in the nation last season averaging 13.42 assists per set and sixth in the country in kills per set (14.32). UMD was 20th nationally with a team hitting percentage of .255. Picked to finish third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), the Bulldogs were 27-5 a season ago, including 17-3 in NSIC play. Leading the charge for UMD is the winningest coach in program history in Jim Boos (536-111 record). The Warriors and Bulldogs have met just twice in their history with UMD winning both of those matchups.
