Wayne State University has announced the 2024-25 Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year. The selections were made based on academic achievement, athletic performance, involvement in university and community service, and coaches’ recommendations. Voting took place in June 2025.
Senior Cedric Drenth, a men’s tennis player from Sulzbach, Germany, and junior Kayla Giroux, a volleyball player from Flat Rock, Michigan, received the honors after being nominated by their coaches and selected through voting by athletic department staff.
Drenth became the fifth person to receive this award multiple times at Wayne State. During the 2024-25 season, he led the men’s tennis team with 24 singles wins (24-10) and 25 doubles victories (25-8), competing in the top position for both. He was ranked No. 56 nationally in singles and No. 5 in the Midwest Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). In doubles, Drenth and partner George Day were ranked No. 32 nationally and fourth in the Midwest region. Drenth was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Year for a second time and earned First Team All-GLIAC recognition for both singles and doubles. He holds school records for career doubles wins (122) and singles wins (106), being the only WSU tennis player to surpass 100 victories in both categories. Drenth is also a three-time ITA All-American.
Academically, Drenth is majoring in Finance and has been named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester with six terms at a perfect 4.00 GPA. He served on the Student-Athlete Leadership Council and was inducted into WSU’s inaugural Chi Alpha Sigma Athlete Honor Society class for 2024-25. Drenth is Wayne State’s first two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-American of the Year.
Giroux became Wayne State volleyball’s fifth All-American after being named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Second Team in 2024—the first such honor since 2010 for her program. She also received All-Region First Team honors from AVCA, Second Team recognition from Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), and her third consecutive First Team All-GLIAC selection.
During her 2024 campaign, Giroux recorded 370 kills and 112 blocks (20 solo), leading her conference with a .404 hitting percentage—ranking ninth nationally—and breaking her own single-season record at Wayne State. She placed among national leaders in several statistical categories including points per set (39th), total blocks (64th), kills per set (66th), blocks per set (70th), and total kills (72nd).
Giroux completed her bachelor’s degree in Global Supply Chain Management with a cumulative GPA of 3.99 over three-and-a-half years. She has been recognized on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester—including six terms with a perfect GPA—and was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma’s inaugural class alongside other student-athletes honored for academic achievement.
“This is now my second time receiving this award,” said Cedric Drenth about his repeat selection as Student-Athlete of the Year.
The Student-Athlete of the Year award has been presented annually since its inception except during two years affected by reduced competition due to COVID-19 disruptions.
Wayne State Warriors Women’s Volleyball competes at NCAA Division II level as part of intercollegiate athletics under membership with the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The team operates out of Detroit, Michigan according to its official website.
