Zurek named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week
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HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball senior outside hitter Rachel Zurek has been named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
"She leads by example, for sure," said Huskies coach Cindy Pindral, when asked about Zurek. "I feel like we’ve got quite a good leadership group, and leadership committee, that are more vocal leaders. They absolutely lead by example as well.
"Rachel doesn’t need to say a whole bunch. She just needs to play the way that she does, and she needs to exude the joy that she usually plays with. So, she leads by example."
Zurek averaged 5.25 kills per set while hitting .362 in a pair of matches last week. She tallied 24 kills and hit .340 at Northern Michigan on Tuesday and added 18 kills while hitting .390 in a sweep at Wayne State on Friday.
"We’re relying on her a ton for our offense," Pindral said. "She’s really the spark plug for our team. So, she is just continuing to get better."
Zurek leads the GLIAC with 244 kills and ranks second in kills per set, averaging 4.28.
"I’m most impressed with her out-of-system swings, and her ability to find ways to keep it in the court, but not only in the court, (she'll) score on a lot of these," said Pindral, "especially balls that are coming at really weird angles. If our first contact isn’t great, and our setter is coming from almost the end line, just hucking it over her shoulder. Rachel is being confident with those swings. She’s placing them in good spots."
Pindral also loves how Zurek communicates with her teammates on the court.
"She’s listening to her defenders when they’re suggesting areas to hit at," Pindral said. "I think that’s the biggest transformation for her from last year to this year is her ability to hit tough, out-of-system balls and still score when maybe our first couple of contacts weren’t very quality."
Up next
Michigan Tech is 7-7 overall and 3-3 in the GLIAC and returns home this week to host Lake Superior State Friday at 4 p.m. and Purdue Northwest Saturday at 12 p.m. at the SDC Gym.