INDIANAPOLIS – The first set of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Players of the Week for the East Division and West Division were selected on Monday.
 
Tournament action was the theme of opening week around the Great Midwest with most teams playing four matches in two days at various neutral sites around the region.
 
East Division Player of the Week
Mallory Adams
Malone
Outside / Middle
Jr. – Medina, OH (Highland HS)
 
Adams was a second-team all-conference selection in a strong sophomore campaign and her second year in the Great Midwest is off to a banner start.
 
Adams and the Pioneers were perfect on opening weekend as Malone hosted the Hall of Fame City Challenge. Malone defeated Charleston, West Alabama, Mercyhurst and Northwood, in order while going 12-2 in sets won/lost.
 
Adams and her teammates helped the program to its best start to the regular season since 2010. She averaged 3.14 kills per set and hitting .288, both top-10 rankings in the first week of the season around the league.
 
Her blocking is what separated the junior from the pack with 20 total blocks and a Great Midwest-best average of 1.43 per set. Adams also contributed four service aces and 2.29 digs per set.
 
Adams had double-digit kill totals in three of the team’s four matches. She had six blocks in three contests as well.
 
West Division Player of the Week
Allyssa Van Wienen
Hillsdale
Middle Blocker
Fr. – Grand Rapids, MI (Grand Rapids Christian)
 
Like Malone, Hillsdale enjoyed a perfect start to the season at 4-0 in the West Division with a trio of Midwest Region wins. The Chargers dropped Michigan Tech (GLIAC) in five sets and swept Indianapolis (GLVC) the next day.
 
Hillsdale also hosted its own tourney and swept Glenville State and Saginaw Valley State (GLIAC) to close out the weekend.
 
Van Wienen was impressive in her first collegiate action as the rookie had 36 kills vs. just seven errors against all four opponents. She led all Great Midwest players with a .392 attacking percentage and also contributed 10 blocks.
 
Van Wienen averaged 2.77 kills per set and 0.77 blocks per game.
 
She had 13 kills and seven blocks in her Hillsdale (and Great Midwest) debut against Michigan Tech on Thursday. It was a match that Hillsdale bounced back from two sets down to defeat the Huskies in five.