INDIANAPOLIS – Playoffs are on the horizon as another set of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Players of the Week for the East and West divisions were announced on Monday afternoon.
The last seven-day span saw five different teams realize their postseason destiny, including two from the East (Walsh, Malone) and three from the West (Hillsdale, Findlay, Tiffin).
Another spot is in play in the East before two wild card selections will officially round out the postseason bracket.
Quarterfinals will be conducted on Tuesday, Nov. 6, before the semifinals and championship final will take place on Nov. 9-10 at the top remaining overall seed.
Teams were getting back into the swing of things in the regular season schedule after competing in the Midwest Region Crossover with GLVC and GLIAC schools last weekend in Indianapolis.
East Division Player of the Week
Faith Lau
Malone
Outside Hitter
Junior
Navarre, OH (Tuslaw HS)
Lau helped the Pioneers punch their ticket to the playoffs for the second time in as many years (since Malone joined the Great Midwest as a member) with some impressive numbers that had her among the best in the league over the week.
As Malone took care of business against East opponents Alderson Broaddus and Davis & Elkins, Lau’s sample size had her second in points, third in kills, third in hitting percentage and first in service aces.
Lau tallied 27 kills across six sets while hitting .426. She added six service aces and averaged 2.5 digs and 4.5 kills per set.
Lau recorded 14 kills and hit a crisp .545 vs. AB to go with four service aces. She was equally efficient against the Senators with a double-double that included 13 kills and 10 digs with a .344 attacking clip.
She has played 25 matches this fall and is averaging 2.24 kills per set with 27 service aces.
West Division Player of the Week
Kara Vyletel
Hillsdale
Outside Hitter
Senior
Ann Arbor, MI (Huron HS)
Vyletel and the Chargers were the first team clinch a playoff berth as they continue an undefeated run through the conference schedule, the first time in league history it could be done since Cedarville was 8-0 in 2012.
Hillsdale got it done on the road, racking up three conference wins as the visitor at Tiffin (West), Ursuline (East) and Lake Erie (East).
Across a 3-0 weekend, Vyletel put down 41 kills, averaging 3.7 kills per set. She also had a .361 hitting percentage in helping Hillsdale to 3-0 wins over Tiffin and Ursuline and a 3-1 win over Lake Erie, making the team 14-0 in the G-MAC.
This is her second career conference weekly honor and she earned first team all-conference accolades as a junior.