DETROIT -- Kayla Giroux (Flat Rock, Mich.), two-time All-American alum of the Wayne State University volleyball program, is set to begin her professional career. Starting late this summer, Giroux will compete in Greece for AO Markopoulo of the A1 Ethniki, the highest professional volleyball league in the country.
"From the beginning of my athletic journey, I understood that reaching the next level would require a strong work ethic and dedication," said Giroux. "Growing up, my family played a huge role in shaping that mindset and teaching me the value of hard work, discipline, and perseverance throughout everything I pursued."
"Towards the end of my career at Wayne State, the coaching staff began asking about my interest in playing professionally, something I had honestly never really considered before or realized was even a possibility for me," added the All-American. "Once those conversations started, I became very interested in continuing my volleyball career and exploring the opportunities that could come from it. From there, I worked with my coaches and agent and received a few offers, and felt that AO Markopoulo offered the best fit and opportunity for me. That being said, it's an honor to have the opportunity to continue playing volleyball professionally, and also to represent where I am from."
AO Markopoulo, a team based in Markopoulo Mesogeas, East Attica, Greece, will begin its season in late August/early September before playing into March/April depending on postseason success. Giroux and her teammates will face off against several teams from near Athens, Santorini, and Thessaloniki. For more information on AO Markopoulo, click the link below.
AO Markopoulo
Looking back briefly at her career in the Green and Gold, Giroux played in all 116 of the team's matches (started all but two) and 437 of 438 possible sets in her four seasons as a Warrior. For her career, she ranks first in program history in hitting percentage (.372), second in total kills (1,425), fourth in block assists (349), fifth in total blocks (417), seventh in kills per set (3.26), and ninth in solo blocks (68). The only two-time All-American in program history owns the top three attack percentages in a single-season in WSU history.
