MARQUETTE, Mich. – For the third time this season, Northern Michigan junior libero Liesl Haugen has been named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week, following another remarkable weekend anchoring the Wildcat defense.

Haugen was once again lethal on the back line, recording her second 38-dig performance of the season to tie herself for the second most digs in a match in program history. She was the foundation of a dominant defensive effort as the Wildcats defeated Davenport 3-1 on Saturday, posting a season-high 102 digs as a team. 

She also recorded 24 digs in NMU's five-set victory over Ferris State on Friday and added six aces on the weekend. The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native has recorded 20+ digs in 11 of 21 matches this season, and her pair of 38-dig matches both rank in the top-20 individual performances in Division II this season. She paces the GLIAC with 5.44 digs/set in conference play. 

This marks Haugen's third GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week award of 2025, adding to honors from back-to-back weeks in mid-October.