GLIAC names Piazza, Armstrong and Orlet volleyball players of the week
Ferris State, Grand Valley State Claim Weekly Conference Volleyball Honors
Ferris State outside hitter Gabby Piazza, Grand Valley State libero Lexi Armstrong, and Grand Valley State setter Gabby Orlet earned the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference volleyball player of the week awards following Week 10 of the 2026 season. Piazza took the offensive honor after pushing the top-ranked Bulldogs to a 25-0 overall record, while Armstrong and Orlet secured the defensive and setter awards for the Lakers.
Piazza Drives Ferris State Attack During Home Sweep
Gabby Piazza totaled a team-leading 31 kills and averaged 5.17 kills per set with a .303 attack percentage across two home wins over Purdue Northwest and Roosevelt. The junior outside hitter posted 26 kills alone in Thursday’s 3-1 triumph against Purdue Northwest. Her weekend output reached 34.0 points, alongside five digs, three assists, two aces, and a block, keeping Ferris State firmly atop the GLIAC standings.
Grand Valley State Duo Secures Defensive and Setting Recognition
Lexi Armstrong claimed her first career GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week nod by collecting 34 digs and going a perfect 19-for-19 on serve receptions across two GVSU victories. The sophomore libero notched 11 digs in a sweep at Northern Michigan before adding 23 digs and an 8-for-8 mark on serve receive in a four-set win over Michigan Tech. Armstrong currently sits second in the conference with 472 total digs and 4.87 digs per set.
Teammate Gabby Orlet joined her as GLIAC Setter of the Week for the fourth time this season and fifth time in her career. Orlet registered 91 assists, 20 digs, and six service aces while steering a Laker offense that hit .315 over the weekend. She opened with 42 assists and nine digs against Northern Michigan, then notched her 12th double-double of the season with 49 assists and 11 digs in the win at Michigan Tech.
GLIAC Recognizes Week 10 Honorable Mentions
The GLIAC also recognized several honorable mentions for Week 10 performance. Offensive nods went to Kennedy Arp of Grand Valley State, Monica Lukasiewicz of Parkside, Katie Smith of Wayne State, and Rachel Townsend of Saginaw Valley State.
Defensive honorable mentions included Hope Davies of Ferris State, Lauren Essenpreis of Wayne State, Lauren Peters of Parkside, and Kendall White of Saginaw Valley State. Setter recognition rounded out with Madelynn Kreider of Michigan Tech, Abby Parrish of Wayne State, Lucy Russ of Parkside, Taylor Smith of Saginaw Valley State, and Hayley Wegener of Ferris State.