On Oct. 8, Ashland University volleyball sophomore outside hitter Erin Krupar was named the GLIAC South Player of the Week by the league office.

Krupar played a major role in leading the Eagles to victory against two GLIAC teams over the weekend; Northwood on Friday and Ferris State on Saturday.

The Eagles won straight sets against Northwood and then carried out a major comeback against Ferris State, trailing 2-0 after the first two sets and then winning three straight to secure a 3-2 victory. In those final three games, Krupar had a dozen kills that helped the Eagles to fix their deficit.

“We came out a little slow,” Krupar said. “In between sets two and three we went to the locker room and the feeling was just ‘we’re not losing this.’ In our heads, there was no other option but to win. It was such a fun game and I was beyond proud of every person on our team.”

Over the course of the weekend, Krupar racked up 25 kills and a .380 hitting percentage. In the two matches she played, she also totaled 11 digs and four blocks.

This is Krupar’s second time being named GLIAC player of the week this season and in her career as an Eagle. She earned her first in week two of the season when she helped the Eagles finish 2-2 at the Hillsdale Tournament and was named to the all-tournament team. She finished the week with 59 kills and hit .248 across 13 sets played.

“All of my success comes from the work and drive from the people around me. My team and my coaches push me to be the best every day and without them I wouldn’t be the player I am,” Krupar said.

The Eagles have totaled four GLIAC Player of the Week awards this season so far. Redshirt-junior outside hitter Brooke Peiffer and sophomore setter Zoey Peck claim the other two honors.

Peck was named player of the week in week three, where she had 156 assists in four matches, averaging 12 per set. She entered the weekend ranked fifth in the nation with 11.97 assists per set and she is the GLIAC leader in that category.

Peck and Krupar have a strong dynamic off and on the court.

“We played travel volleyball together for six years before coming to AU, so we’re on our 8th year together now,” Peck said. “She is amazing not only as an athlete, but as a teammate and as a person. She cares so much about everyone on the team and she’s always working to get better.”

The Eagles play their next game on Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. at Parkside.

“My plan is to just keep grinding,” Krupar said. “The work I put in in practice, after hours, and in the off season will slowly pay off along with the support of my teammates and coaches. National Championships are in our future.”