Crossroads League Announces Athletes of the Week | September 23-29
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JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the league’s top individual performances from September 23 through 29. Sports Information Directors from the league institutions nominate student-athletes for the awards and vote on each week’s winners.
Volleyball Attacker of the Week
Martina Demarchi, Indiana Wesleyan
Demarchi led No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan to four-set wins over No. 22 Marian and Taylor, averaging 4.4 kills per set on a .367 percentage. Demarchi posted 22 kills with just two errors against MU and 13 kills with just four miscues against TU.
Volleyball Defender of the Week
Livia Tate, Grace
Tate amassed 11 total blocks for No. 19 Grace in its wins over No. 16 MVNU and Huntington. Tate put down eight blocks to fuel a comeback win at MVNU and closed the week with three more in a sweep of HU.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Abbigail Porter, Indiana Wesleyan
Porter helped the No. 8 Wildcats remain unbeaten in league play with 12.0 assists per set in wins over No. 22 Marian and Taylor. Porter had 49 assists against Marian and 47 against Taylor, posting 96 assists, 13 digs, seven kills, seven blocks and four aces in the two victories.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Layla Brown, Marian
Brown scored a goal in each of No. 10 Marian’s contests on the week, netting MU’s lone goal in a draw with No. 17 Indiana Wesleyan before scoring another in a 6-0 rout of Goshen. For the week, Brown put nine of her 10 shots on frame.
Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Reagan Kohler, Spring Arbor
Kohler led No. 8 Spring Arbor past RV Bethel and MVNU with a pair of clean sheets in net for the Cougars. Kohler needed just three saves to protect the shutouts, as SAU outscored its foes by a 6-0 margin in the two wins.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Sam Dolobaipu, Huntington
Dolobaipu repeated as the CL’s top offensive player after posting seven points in HU’s wins over Goshen and Bethel. Dolobaipu had one goal in each contest, with two assists against Goshen and another against Bethel.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Brayden Pierson, Mount Vernon Nazarene
Pierson made 16 saves in matches against RV Grace and RV Spring Arbor, while allowing just one score. The freshman keeper posted 11 stops in a 2-0 upset of Grace and added five more in a 1-1 draw with SAU.
Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Jaynie Halterman, Taylor
Halterman made history in her second collegiate race, breaking No. 4 Taylor’s program record with a time of 20:56.7 to win the Mizzou Gans Creek Classic. Halterman’s time was 27 seconds faster than the next competitor, helping TU top all NAIA programs at the race.
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Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Mathew Keitany, Goshen
Keitany broke the Goshen program record with a time of 24:37.4 for the Leafs at the Mizzou Gans Creek Classic. Keitany’s time was good for 15th overall out of 389 competitors.
Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Kenzie Abdelaal, Bethel
Abdelaal helped RV Bethel secure its first-ever regular season Crossroads League Championship by recording wins at No. 3 singles and No. 3 doubles in a 4-3 team win over No. 16 Marian. For the week, the sophomore went 4-0 over two team victories.
Men’s Tennis Player of the Week
Pablo Gregori, Grace
Gregori went 4-0 overall with two wins each at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles to help Grace wrap the regular season CL Championship. Gregori also became GC’s all-time leader for career singles wins with 50.
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