Four Volleyball Huskies named All-GLIAC
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The GLIAC announced its award winners and all-conference teams at the GLIAC Tournament Championship Banquet on Thursday (Nov. 10). Four Huskies were honored as Carissa Beyer was named to the All-GLIAC First Team, Lina Espejo-Ramirez and Jillian Kuizenga were named to the All-GLIAC Second Team, and Janie Grindland was named All-GLIAC Honorable Mention.
Beyer was twice named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week and was named to the Midwest Region Crossover All-Tournament Team and Otter Invitational All-Tournament Team. The Appleton, Wisconsin native earned all-conference honors for the second straight season after being named to the Second Team last season. Beyer ranks second in the GLIAC in digs per set at 5.11, totaling 511 this season. She has 930 digs for her career and had double-digit digs in 27-of-29 matches, hitting the 20-dig mark 10 times, and the 30-dig mark three times.
Lina Espejo-Ramirez appeared in 26 matches as the primary setter. The native of Bogota, Columbia, ranks second in the GLIAC in assists per set (9.96) and 20th in digs per set (2.69). Espejo-Ramirez was named the GLIAC Setter of the Week on August 30 after being named to the Otter Invitational All-Tournament Team. She had 11 double-doubles this season and had 20 matches with 30 assists, five with 40 assists, and three with 50 assists. She also added 47 kills, 22 aces, and 34 blocks.
Jillian Kuizenga was named to the Hampton Inn Invitational All-Tournament Team and Otter Invitational All-Tournament Team, earning all-conference honors for the third straight season after being Honorable Mention each of the last two seasons. The St. Charlies, Illinois native appeared in all 29 matches as the right-side hitter and led the Huskies with 295 kills, ranking 12th in the GLIAC in kills per set (2.95). She had career highs in kills and blocks (55).
Janie Grindland was named to the Hampton Inn Invitational All-Tournament Team and earned all-conference honors for the second time in her career. Grindland appeared in all 29 matches and led the Huskies with a .261 hitting percentage and blocks (77). She ranks eighth in the GLIAC in total blocks and ninth in blocks per set (0.79). Grindland also had career highs in kills (152), digs (61), aces (30), and assists (11). Her 0.71 career blocks per game rank eighth in program history and her career .267 hitting percentage ranks 11th all-time.
The Huskies are 20-9 overall and play Ferris State Friday at 4 p.m. in the GLIAC Semifinals.