Hayes named GLIAC Freshman of the Year, Five Huskies honored
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Five Huskies from the Michigan Tech volleyball team were honored when the GLIAC announced its award winners and all-conference teams on Thursday (Nov. 17). Tess Hayes was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year and to the All-GLIAC Second Team. Kaycee Meiners and Lindy Oujiri were honored on the All-GLIAC First Team. Meg Raabe joined Hayes on the All-GLIAC Second Team, and Rachel Zurek was an Honorable Mention selection.
Setter Tess Hayes is the GLIAC Freshman of the Year and on the All-GLIAC Second Team. The Chicago native started all 29 matches in the regular season for the Huskies and led the GLIAC in assists per set in conference matches at 10.15. She had seven matches with at least 50 assists and tallied at least 40 assists 11 times. Hayes notched her 1,000th assist of the season on November 10 and has 18 double-doubles during her freshman campaign. Hayes was named the GLIAC Setter of the Week on October 9 after averaging 12.14 assists per set and 20 digs in a pair of wins. In the regular season, she tallied 1,094 assists, 287 digs, 43 kills, 31 blocks, and 21 aces. Hayes is the third Husky to be named GLIAC Freshman of the Year after Kelly Jorgenson (2006) and Laura De Marchi (2017).
Middle blocker Kaycee Meiners earned a spot on the All-GLIAC First Team. She led the GLIAC in blocks per set (1.42) in conference matches and ranked second in hitting percentage (.334). Meiners is third on the team in kills per set (2.07) and had nine matches with double-digit kills. She has tallied 238 kills, 136 blocks, 53 digs, 16 assists, and 11 aces. Her 136 blocks rank seventh in program history for a single season. On Nov. 11 at Lake Superior State, she blocked 11 attacks. The team captain was named to the UP Open All-Tournament Team after averaging 2.29 kills per set while hitting .410 and tallying nine blocks on the season-opening weekend.
Outside hitter Lindy Oujiri was also named to the All-GLIAC First Team. She ranked sixth in the GLIAC in kills per set (3.54) and eighth in kills per set (3.43) in conference matches. Oujiri tallied 365 kills as a senior while hitting .213. The team captain added 41 digs and 39 blocks. She was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 9 and was named to the Midwest Region Crossover All-Tournament Team and Up North All-Tournament Team.
Outside hitter Meg Raabe was honored on the All-GLAC Second Team. She ranked fifth in the GLIAC in kills per set (3.77) in conference matches. The sophomore hit double figures in kills 15 times with a career-high 32 in a five-set win at Wayne State (Nov. 3). She has tallied 284 kills, while hitting .240 and added 107 digs, 33 blocks, and 10 assists. Raabe was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 6.
Middle blocker Rachel Zurek was named Honorable Mention All-GLIAC as a freshman. She ranked 11th in hitting percentage (.260) in GLIAC matches and was 13th in blocks per set (0.83). Zurek hit double figures four times with a season-high 15 kills at Purdue Northwest (Sept. 23) while hitting .379. She has tallied 200 kills, 90 blocks, 23 digs, and four aces.
The Huskies are 15-15 overall and play at No. 22 Grand Valley State on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals.