INDIANAPOLIS – The opening full week of competition in the regular season set the stage for Great Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Players of the Week honors for the first time in the spring. 
 
Three programs could stake claim to perfect 2-0 starts, including AVCA No. 12-ranked Hillsdale, Findlay and Walsh. Tiffin won its lone match while Cedarville and Malone both clawed their way into the win column with match splits. 
 
Lake Erie and Ohio Dominican are awaiting to make their season debuts; Kentucky Wesleyan, Ohio Valley and Trevecca Nazarene, each played a pair of matches. 
 
Offensive Player of the Week
Karoline Shelton
Hillsdale
Junior 
Outside Hitter
Shawnee, KS (Shawnee Mission South HS)
 
Through Week 1, Shelton is already sixth among league leaders in hitting percentage (.339), seventh in kills per set (3.67), second in total kills (22) and fourth in points per game (4.33).
 
By all accounts, 2019 was a true breakout season for the junior, but her start to the delayed spring indicates there is another bar for the first team all-conference performer to reach. 
 
The Chargers defeated both of their opponents in straight sets, Kentucky Wesleyan and Trevecca Nazarene. Both wins made Hillsdale an almost perfect 48-2 (.960) since joining the Great Midwest. 
 
In her season debut, Shelton put down a team-best 13 kills and 3 service aces vs. TNU. She had a .444 hitting percentage on 27 swings and produced 6 digs and a pair of block assists up front. 
 
On Saturday, Shelton ripped 32 swings, this time converting for nine kills and just one miscue in three sets. She also added nine digs as the Chargers swept while hitting an uncharacteristic .132 as a team. 
 
This is her second career offensive conference weekly honor. 
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Sam Fallis
Tiffin
Junior 
Defensive Specialist 
Toledo, OH (Sylvania Southview HS)

Another breakout star on the defensive side of the floor was Fallis in 2019 as she earned all-conference honors and finished second in the league in digs per set and total digs. 
 
Fallis is a huge reason why the Dragons were polled second by the coaches in the preseason voting. 
 
TU emerged out of a five-set final with a win in its season debut against Ursuline as the junior libero posted current league-leading dig totals. She also had two assists and a pair of aces in the serve game. 
 
Fallis recorded 33 in the five sets for an average of 6.60 per set. She has the early league lead among all defensive specialists including KWC’s Nilah Roy (6.00) and Ursuline’s Zoe Skinner (6.00).
 
Fallis’ 600 digs in 2019 was good for a spot in the conference top 10 single-season record holders. Her average of 5.08 digs per set also earned an entry into the list. 
 
Fallis came into the season eighth all-time in conference history in digs per set (4.23). This is her second conference career weekly honor.