Kalik Named Heartland’s Best for First Week of Season

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The reigning Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year earned another award to start her sophomore campaign. Setter Alicia Kalik was named the HCAC Offensive Player of the Week for volleyball after a stellar performance at the Green Hornet Invitational over the weekend.

Kalik led the Yellow Jackets to a 3-1 start to the season, Defiance's best start since 2005. The sophomore influenced nearly every facet of the game over the course of the four matches, as the South Lyon native attacked and defended superbly for the Purple and Gold. Kalik began the tourney by combining for 54 assists, 13 digs, six kills, six blocks and five aces to propel the Jackets to wins over Anderson and Franklin on Friday evening.

The sophomore phenom had an even better performance in the second and final day of the tourney. In the five-set defeat to host Kalamazoo, Kalik recorded 41 assists, the second most of her career, and added seven kills, six digs and a block.

Even after a great first three matches, Kalik saved her best performance for last in the five-set win over Olivet. The sophomore narrowly missed an unheard of quadruple-double by one block, as Kalik totaled 34 assists, 11 kills, 11 digs and nine blocks. Kalik's play over the course of the weekend earned the sophomore a spot on the Green Hornet Invitational All-Tournament Team.

Kalik and the Yellow Jackets are back in action on Saturday, September 8 at the Rose-Hulman invite. Defiance's first match is against Webster at 1:00 p.m. followed by DePauw at 3:00 p.m.