Joique Bell Wins Harlon Hill Trophy

Congratulations to Joique Bell, senior running back on the Wayne State football team.  Joique is the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, which is awarded to the top Division II player in the country.  It is the Division II equivelent of the Heisman Trophy.  He had 29 rushing touchdowns this year, and rushed for 2084 yards, the most in any division in 2009.

Congrats Joique!

WSU Hosts Fall Letterwinners Reception

DETROIT - The Wayne State Department of Athletics hosted the Fall 2009 First Year Letterwinners Reception on Tuesday evening in the WSU Athletics Hall of Fame Exhibit at the Matthaei Center.

Athletic director Rob Fournier and football alum Scott Fisher (1980-83) addressed the student-athletes who were receiving their first varsity letter at Wayne State. Head coaches Rick Cummins, Phil Nickel, and Paul Winters, along with associate athletic director Jason Clark, were also on hand to present the varsity jackets to the letterwinners.

VOLLEYBALL
Cydney Biessel
Karlene Foisy
Lindsey Graciak
Madie Kent
Kate Sak 

Vollleyball Announces 2010 Recruiting Class

DETROIT - Wayne State University head volleyball coach Phil Nickel has announced that four prospective student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to enroll at WSU next fall and join the volleyball program.

“This change brings mixed emotions for me, personally,” said Nickel. “Sarha Gosselin, Candis Jenich, and Lauren Mallast were my first recruits at Wayne State, and it makes me sad to see them leaving already. But, I am extremely excited about this recruiting class.

“We accomplished everything we set out to achieve with this class. They are athletic, physical, and skilled and expect all four of them to come in and compete for playing time as freshmen. This group, along with our 2009 recruiting class, is going to have a huge influence on where our program goes in the next few years. I am very excited about the future of Wayne State volleyball.”

Middle hitter Nicole Arends, a native of Ravenna, played three years on the varsity volleyball team and was a significant contributor on the state runner-up squad in 2009. She was a two-time first team all-conference and all-area selection, earned all-state honors twice, and served as team captain for two years. She also participated in basketball and track, and was on the honor roll at Ravenna.

A native of LaSalle, Ontario, outside hitter Kristen Bulkiewicz spent four years on the varsity volleyball team at Sandwich Secondary, where she was an all-star and MVP, and was named most dedicated. An athlete with a diversified background, she also participated in basketball, track and field, and badminton, and was a silver medalist in both badminton and the high jump. Bulkiewicz was elected team captain for volleyball and basketball.

Middle blocker Kris Vulaj is due to graduate this spring from Redford Union, where she played four years of volleyball and was a two-time all-conference selection for the Panthers. She served as team captain her senior year and was a 2008 scholar athlete. She also plays AAU volleyball, training with Instant Replay volleyball club for two years.

Amanda Wetherill is a middle blocker from Forest, Ohio, who lettered three years in volleyball at Riverdale, leading the Falcons to consecutive first-place finishes in 2007 and 2008, and second place in 2009. She was a two-time all-conference honoree and a 2009 second team all-district selection, having set single-season school records in 2009 for aces and blocks, as well as the career aces record. The National Honor Society member was also a four-year letterwinner in softball as a first baseman and centerfielder, earning all-conference and all-district honors in 2009.

These four future Warriors will help offset the loss of a five-member senior class which includes Jessica Condeni, Gosselin, Jenich, Meg Leone, and Mallast.

Three Warriors Earn All-GLIAC Volleyball Honors

Gosselin selected to First Team for second straight year

DETROIT - Three Wayne State University volleyball student-athletes received All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference awards for 2009, as announced by the league office Thursday afternoon.

Senior Sarha Gosselin (Harrison Twp., Mich./Warren Lincoln) was selected to the First Team All-GLIAC for the second consecutive season. Senior Lauren Mallast (Chesterfield, Mich./Anchor Bay) claimed her second straight Second Team All-GLIAC honor, and freshman Kate Sak (Warren, Mich./Cousino) was chosen to the Honorable Mention squad.

Gosselin is just the fourth Wayne State volleyball player in history to earn two career First Team selections, and the first since Erin Meyer became a three-time First Team South Division selection in 1997-99. Gosselin entered this week ranked fifth in the GLIAC in kills per set (3.29). The 2008 All-American has 350 kills, 275 digs and 55 blocks this season, and has posted eight double-doubles.

Mallast, whose career statistics put her among the top-10 blockers all-time at Wayne State, came into this week ranked second in the GLIAC and eighth in NCAA Division II with a 1.25 blocks per set average. She is 12th in the conference in hitting percentage and 14th in kills.

Sak is one of only two freshmen to earn All-GLIAC status this season, along with Ashland's Brittany Snider who was named Freshman of the Year. She has the third-best hitting percentage in the conference and ranks seventh in blocking.

Sarha Gosselin Named AVCA National Player of the Week

Warriors compete in largest college volleyball tournament in the nation

GLIAC Retains Asics Crossover Volleyball Title, 24-21

Click here for the 2009 Asics Volleyball Crossover tournament results page

LANSING, Mich. - The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) claimed a 24-21 victory over the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in the 2009 Asics Volleyball Crossover tournament held at the Aim High Facility in Lansing, Mich.

The tournament, which is the largest NCAA volleyball tournament in the country, was the second ever held between the two NCAA Division II Conferences that reside in the Midwest region. The GLIAC also claimed last year's event by a 27-12 tally.

Leading the way for the GLIAC was Wayne State University, which posted a perfect 3-0 record. The Warriors defeated Northern Kentucky University (3-2), Drury University (3-1), and St. Joseph's College (3-0).

Ashland University, Ferris State University, the University of Findlay, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, and Saginaw Valley State University each recorded 2-1 marks at the event, helping the GLIAC retain the Asics Crossover trophy.

The GLVC had four teams with perfect slates in the event. Bellarmine University, the University of Indianapolis, Lewis University, and UW-Parkside each went 3-0.

Two future GLIAC members, Lake Erie College (1-2) and Ohio Dominican Univeristy (3-0) also helped in the cause, participating in the tournament for the GLIAC to balance out the 15-member GLVC.

The twelve-member 2009 Asics Crossover All-Tournament team featured six players from each conference. Earning All-Tournament status for the GLIAC were: Ashland freshman outside hitter Brittany Snider (Olmstead Falls, Ohio), Grand Valley State University junior middle blocker Rebeccah Rapin (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel), Hillsdale College junior libero Sydney Dow (Jonesville, Mich.), Michigan Technological University sophomore outside hitter Kathleen Storm (Hancock, Mich.) Saginaw Valley State senior setter Kait Harris (Essexville, Mich./Garber), and Wayne State senior outside hitter Sarha Gosselin (Harrison Twp., Mich./Warren Lincoln).

The six members of the 2009 Asics Crossover All-Tournament team from the GLVC were: Bellarmine University junior outside hitter Emily Beckman (Louisville, Ky./Male), Lewis University senior outside hitter Stephanie Sagat (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South), Northern Kentucky Univeristy junior libero Chelsea Clark (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown), Rockhurst Univeristy sophomore right side hitter Maggie McGovern (Kansas City, Mo./Notre Dame de Scion), University of Indianapolis junior outside hitter Lyndsay Callahan (Chicago, Ill./Marist),UW-Parkside junior setter (Kewaskum, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran).

What happend to summer?

In less than a week, the first Wayne State Volleyball camp will open with two sessions, the Youth Camp in the morning, and the nearly sold out Advanced Camp in the afternoon. After that, there is one week until pre-season practice starts. The summer is officially over for most college volleyball players and coaches the second week of August.

This is a good thing for most people. All of the hard work that was put in during the spring and over the summer will be tested and put to work. The coaches have planned and projected. Like Allen Iverson said, "we're talking about practice." It is what we live for, to be in the gym, banging balls, hitting the floor, and patrolling the net. It's not easy, but I think most people enjoy it. The team bonding, the commraderie, the competition provides lessons that cannot be learned in a classroom.

Everyone should enjoy the couple of weeks that we have left. But, I can't wait to get back in the gym.

Go Warriors!