Western Wayne Today

Wayne State University has celebrated a historic achievement in its volleyball program. Junior middle blocker Kayla Giroux has become the first player in the university's history to be named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC). Giroux was honored as a Second Team Academic All-American on Tuesday afternoon.

Wayne State University's head coach, Tim Koth, expressed his pride in Giroux's dual achievements, stating, "I'm very proud of Kayla's accomplishments both on the court and in the classroom. She has been exceptional in both areas which is a testament to her wonderful character. This honor is so well deserved."

Giroux led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and ranked ninth nationally with a hitting percentage of .404 this season. She achieved 370 kills, ranking fourth in the league and 72nd in Division II. Notably, she was the only middle blocker among GLIAC's top five kill leaders. Her hitting percentage set a new program record, surpassing her previous record of .3538 from last season.

In terms of defense, Giroux stood out as one of the top blockers in the league with 112 total blocks. She achieved 20 solo blocks and 92 block assists, averaging 1.09 blocks per set.

Throughout her career at Wayne State University, Giroux has maintained a hitting percentage of .363, marking her as first in program history. She is close to reaching significant milestones with just 22 kills needed to reach 1,000 and 176 to enter the school's top ten rankings.

Giroux was one of two student-athletes from GLIAC recognized on CSC Academic All-American Teams this year. Jordyn Gates from Grand Valley State joined her on the Second Team.