DETROIT -- Wayne State University senior volleyball standout
Kayla Giroux (Flat Rock, Mich.) was selected to receive a GLIAC Commissioner's Award for the second year in a row as announced by the league office this afternoon.
Giroux, already the first player in program history to receive the honor once, became Wayne State's 19th two-time honoree regardless of sport. Those 19 don't include the three Warriors to have been selected a trio of times -- Karter Fitzpatrick (baseball), Anais Ruyssen (tennis) and Jordan Fox (swimming).
Earlier this month, Giroux was honored as a College Sports Communicators (CSC) First Team Academic All-American, the first two-time Academic All-American in program history and WSU's 26th two-time honoree regardless of sport. Overall, she's now a five-time All-American including twice by the CSC, twice by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and a fifth by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA).
During the 2025 season, Giroux paced the GLIAC and ranked 10th nationally in hitting percentage (.391) while churning out 447 kills, good for second in the league and 20th in Division II. That .391 hitting percentage is the second best in program history, a chart in which she also owns first and third place.
Among the country's leaders, she was also 19th in points per set (4.68), 26th in kills per set (3.96), 33rd in total blocks (124), and 45th in blocks per set (1.10). On the Warriors' career charts, the middle blocker is slotted first in hitting percentage (.372), second in kills (1,425), fourth in block assists (349), fifth in total stops (417), seventh in kills per set (3.26), and ninth in solo blocks (68).
Academically, the Global Supply Chain Management major graduated in 3.5 years and earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) all seven semesters, including her sixth term with a 4.00 this past fall. She maintained a 3.99 cumulative grade-point average along the way. The four-time First Team All-GLIAC selection (first in program history) was the 2022 GLIAC Freshman of the Year as well as the AVCA Midwest Freshman of the Year.
Criteria Include:
The nominee must have completed four semesters of full-time enrollment and therefore may not be a true freshman or true sophomore.
The nominee must have attained a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5, on a 4.0 grading scale.
The nominee must be a starter or key reserve.
The selections of Giroux and Rayba increase the number of WSU student-athletes recognized to 86 since the conference instituted this award for the 2007-08 academic year. The 86 honorees for WSU is tied for second-most in the conference during the 18-year history of the program. Rayba is the ninth football player (11 total selections since Josh Renel and Kyle Toth were two-time honorees), while Giroux is the first Warrior volleyball student-athlete to be so honored.
The GLIAC Commissioner's Awards are bestowed after the fall, winter and spring athletic seasons to six female and six male student-athletes of junior, senior or graduate student status that excel both in the classroom and in competition.
