Crossroads League Announces Athletes of the Week | October 23-29
JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the league’s top individual performances from October 23 through 29. Sports Information Directors from the league institutions nominate student-athletes for the awards and vote on each week’s winners.
Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
Taylor Westgate, Taylor
Westgate had a double-double in each of Taylor’s two victories to open the season. The senior averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in the two wins, while shooting 42.9 percent from the field.
Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Brody Whitaker, Marian
Whitaker opened his junior season with a career-high 33 points on 52.4-percent shooting to help RV Marian to a 90-76 win over Indiana Southeast. Whitaker went 11-of-21 from the floor, drilled three triples and added eight rebounds, one steal and one block.
Volleyball Attacker of the Week
Lyssi Snouffer, Mount Vernon Nazarene
Snouffer averaged 3.8 kills and 2.6 digs per set in a trio of victories for No. 23 Mount Vernon Nazarene. The junior outside hitter reached double figures in kills in all three matches, piling up at least 15 terminations in four-set wins over Grace and USF.
Volleyball Defender of the Week
McKaylah Flagle, Taylor
Flagle posted 4.5 digs per set for Taylor in its matches against USF, Goshen and RV Marian. Flagle had at least 12 digs in all three matches, posting 15 in a sweep of USF and 18 in a four-set loss to MU.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Haley Biedenbach, Bethel
Biedenbach surpassed 1,000 assists in her first season with 125 more in No. 17 Bethel’s trio of matches on the week. The freshman ended the week with 11.4 assists per set in those matches, including a 47-assist game to help the Pilots past Huntington.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Audrey Grimm, Taylor
Grimm led No. 25 Taylor to a pair of wins that helped TU secure the No. 3 seed in the CL Tournament. Grimm scored once in a 3-0 victory against Bethel, before adding two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win over Goshen.
Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Malina Marshall, Spring Arbor
Marshall anchored the defense for No. 2 Spring Arbor and helped the Cougars secure a share of the Crossroads League Championship. Marshall helped SAU blank USF, before battling to a 1-1 draw with No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Matheus Cunha, Spring Arbor
Cunha helped Spring Arbor to a 2-2 draw with No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan and ended the week with three goals on 10 shots for SAU. Cunha recorded two goals in a 2-1 win over USF and added one more in the draw against IWU.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Mathis Neuhaus, Bethel
Neuhaus helped No. 10 Bethel secure the Crossroads League Championship with 1-0 wins over Taylor and No. 4 Grace. The freshman keeper posted six saves in the two shutouts, including five in the title-clincher against Grace.