Wood Earns G-MAC Coach Of The Year Award In First Season Guiding AU Volleyball

Alicia Wood has wasted no time putting her stamp on the Ashland University volleyball program.

In her first season leading the Eagles, they are 22-5 overall, had the Great Midwest Athletic Conference's best regular-season record at 15-1, and have been slotted at No. 6 in the Midwest Region throughout the NCAA Power Index (NPI) rankings for the last month.
 
For all of that, Wood on Thursday (Nov. 12) afternoon was named the 2026 Great Midwest Coach of the Year – as the league's postseason awards were revealed. She also has five of her Eagles landing on the two all-conference teams, as well.
 
Ashland's 22 victories so far this fall tie her for the third-most in program history by a first-year head coach (only Angie Messmer, 27 in 1977; and Kevin Foeman, 25 in 2018 had more). In addition, the nine-win improvement so far from 2025 is the most in program history (not counting the spring 2021 COVID pandemic season) since the 11-win improvement from 2017 to 2018.
 
Four Eagles earned first-team all-conference recognition this season:

• For senior libero Abbey Queen, this is her third consecutive first-team All-G-MAC honor. So far in 2026, Queen has collected 493 digs (10^th-most in a season in AU history), 114 assists and 23 service aces.
• Senior setter Kylee Urban is an all-conference first-teamer for the first time, and all-league for the second time. Urban has 614 assists, 53 kills, 43 service aces, and 210 digs so far in 2026.
• Junior middle blockers Myia Etzler and Livi Miller both are first-time first-team All-G-MAC choices. Etzler has picked up 112 total blocks and 155 kills, to go with a .283 hitting percentage, this fall, and Miller has 81 total blocks, 146 kills and a .333 hitting percentage so far this season.

Junior outside hitter Sara Krizsa is an All-Great Midwest second-team pick for the second time in three seasons. So far in 2026, Krizsa has 217 kills, .234 hitting percentage, 44 digs and 27 total blocks.
 
The Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium will be the host site for the 2026 Great Midwest Tournament Final Four:

• Friday, 5 p.m. – No. 2 seed Findlay vs. No. 3 seed Cedarville
• Friday, 7:30 p.m. – No. 1 seed Ashland vs. No. 5 seed Hillsdale
• Saturday, 1 p.m. – championship match

Tickets for the Final Four are available HERE.