Northern Michigan University’s McKenzie Gruner, center, follow through on her successful kill during a GLIAC volleyball match played against Wayne State at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Oct. 25. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — Senior McKenzie Gruner of the volleyball team at Northern Michigan University was named the conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

The native of Merrimac, Wisconsin, totaled 33 kills in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference home wins over Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State over the weekend.

That enabled the Wildcats to secure the No. 3 seed in this week’s GLIAC Tournament, which begins with the quarterfinals, Northern hosting No. 6 seed Wisconsin-Parkside at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Vandament Arena.

NMU is a modest 15-13 overall while compiling a 12-4 record in the conference, tied with Grand Valley State and just one game behind co-champions Ferris State and Wayne State.

Parkside was part of a three-way tie for fifth at 18-8 overall and 9-7 in the GLIAC.

A win Wednesday would move NMU into the semifinals and finals to be played this weekend at the home court of the highest-seeded quarterfinals winner.

Earning her first GLIAC weekly award this season, Gruner made a match-high 14 kills and had a hitting percentage of .440 in the Wildcats’ three-set sweep of 10th-place LSSU on Friday, including three straight Northern points when the third set hung in the balance.

Then she led NMU with 19 kills in a four-set victory over ninth-place SVSU on Saturday, hitting an even better .531 as she also paced the Wildcats with five blocks.

For the weekend, Gruner averaged 4.13 kills per set while hitting .466, and finished the regular season with 331 kills and a .318 attack percentage.

She ranked third in the GLIAC in attack percentage, sixth in points and ninth in kills per set.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the award. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.