Grand Rapids, Mich. – Five matches. Five victories. Fifty-six kills. And for the second time in four weeks, Cecilia "Cece" Pelak is the WHAC Women's Volleyball Attacker of the Week.
Pelak powered No. 12 Aquinas through a perfect week that included its first conference victory and a 4-0 performance at the AQ/CU Invite. The Saints defeated UM-Dearborn, Olivet Nazarene, receiving-votes Cumberland, Tennessee Southern and No. 15 Mount Vernon Nazarene while improving to 14-1 overall and 1-0 in the WHAC.
The senior outside hitter totaled 70 kills across 17 sets, averaging 4.12 kills and 4.82 points per set while hitting .290. She added nine service aces, 43 digs and six blocks, once again influencing matches from every area of the court.
Pelak saved her biggest offensive performance for Aquinas' biggest challenge. She put away 19 kills as the Saints defeated 15th-ranked Mount Vernon Nazarene to complete their unbeaten weekend. Pelak also recorded 14 kills apiece against UM-Dearborn, Olivet Nazarene and Tennessee Southern, including a .407 hitting percentage in the sweep of Olivet Nazarene.
"Cece continues to show why she is one of the best attackers in our conference," Aquinas Women's Volleyball Head Coach Ryan Campbell said. "Teams know she is going to receive a lot of opportunities, but she continues to find ways to score and make good decisions. What impressed me most this week was how she responded in the biggest moments. When we needed a point against some very strong opponents, Cece wanted the ball and delivered for us."
Monday's announcement gives Pelak her second WHAC Attacker of the Week honor of the young season. She previously received the award Aug. 24 after totaling 62 kills during Aquinas' opening five matches.
The latest recognition adds to an already accomplished Aquinas career for the Mattawan, Michigan, native. Pelak earned First Team All-WHAC and all-region honors in 2025 and entered this season as one of the established anchors of the Saints' attack.
Her impact, however, reaches well beyond the numbers accompanying her name in the box score.
A senior pursuing a degree in Elementary Education, Pelak chose Aquinas because of its Christ-centered environment and the people who immediately made campus feel like home. She defines success through earning her degree, gaining meaningful classroom experience and continuing to grow in her faith.
Pelak developed her game through four varsity seasons at Mattawan High School and extensive club experience with Redline Volleyball. She helped Mattawan reach the MHSAA State Tournament as a freshman, beginning a journey that eventually brought her to Aquinas and developed her into one of the conference's premier attackers.
Away from the court, Pelak is one of 11 siblings, is learning to play the guitar and proudly shares her love for Jesus.
Four weeks into the season, the WHAC has presented four Attacker of the Week awards. Pelak now owns half of them.
Up Next
No. 12 Aquinas returns to conference play Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the Saints travel to Madonna for a 7 p.m. match.
Pelak may have claimed this week's spotlight, but the Saints will have plenty of opportunities to add more names to the WHAC honor roll next Monday. Aquinas student-athletes will be eligible across 11 categories spanning men's and women's cross country, volleyball, men's and women's soccer and men's and women's golf.
One Saint celebrated this week. Who will make their case next?
It's a great day to be a Saint.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
An earlier version of this story omitted Cece Pelak's statistics from Aquinas' victory over Olivet Nazarene. Pelak's corrected weekly totals are 70 kills, nine service aces, 43 digs and six blocks across 17 sets in five matches. The story has been updated.
