OXFORD, Ohio - The River States Conference is pleased to announce the Player of the Week honorees for the past week.
All awards represent contests played from Monday, September 29 through Sunday, October 5.
Women's Volleyball Players of the Week
Attacker of the Week
Masa Pesic, St. Mary-of-the-Woods | Jr. - Right Side Hitter - Zajecar, Serbia
Masa Pesic delivered a dominant attacking performance to power Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in a sweep over Indiana East on Oct. 3. Pesic hammered down 15 kills on 24 swings with just 2 errors, posting an elite .542 hitting percentage. She averaged 5.00 kills per set, consistently terminating rallies and setting the tone for the Pomeroys.
Setter of the Week
Aden Britt, St. Mary-of-the-Woods | Sr. - Setter - Pflugerville, Texas
Aden Britt set the tone for the Pomeroys' sweep over Indiana East with an efficient and high-level performance directing the offense. Britt dished out 33 assists in just three sets, averaging an outstanding 11.00 assists per set, while spreading the attack and fueling the Pomeroys' .310 team hitting percentage.
Defender of the Week
Megan Steele, Shawnee State | Sr. - Libero - Chillicothe, Ohio
Megan Steele again enjoyed a strong weekend on the backline -- tallying 45 digs with just one reception error in 36 service receptions total for a .971 reception percentage in SSU's weekend victories over Oakland City (Ind.) and Brescia (Ky.), helping the Bears claim a 16-6 overall record and a 6-1 mark in River States Conference play to start the season.
Men's Soccer Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Santiago Morales, IU East | Jr. - Midfielder - Fishers, Indiana
Santiago Morales had three goals and an assist as the Red Wolves went 1-1 on the week. The junior led IU East's 6-0 victory over Kentucky Christian with a hat trick, then added an assist on the Red Wolves' lone goal against the Bears of Shawnee State.
Defensive Player of the Week
Jacob Kasarda, IU Columbus | Jr. - Goalkeeper - Crown Point, Indiana
Jacob Kasarda anchored the Crimson Pride defense with an outstanding performance across two matches. He allowed just two goals in 180 minutes of play while recording 21 saves and a stellar .913 save percentage, earning one shutout and showcasing composure throughout the week.
Women's Soccer Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Jana Mueller, Oakland City | So. - Midfielder - Nierstein, Germany
The reigning River States Conference Newcomer of the Year scored four goals and assisted on another as the Mighty Oaks picked up two conference wins. The sophomore scored one of OCU's three goals in a win over IU Kokomo, then had three goals and an assist in a blowout victory over Midway.
Defensive Player of the Week
Laura Thompson, Brescia | So. - Goalkeeper - Wuerzburg, Germany
Laura has been an unstoppable force in goal for the Bearcats. The sophomore tallied 15 saves en route to a 2-0 week in conference play. She kept Rio to just one goal as the Bearcats earned their first win against the Red Storm in program history.
Cross Country Runners of the Week
Male Runner of the Week
Carson Milner, Midway | Jr. - Walton, Kentucky
Carson Milner continued his dominant junior season with a second place finish at the most difficult leg of the Louisville Classic Saturday. In four races this season, he's won twice and finished top-three at two others with the only runners beating him coming from Division I programs.
Female Runner of the Week
Olivia Cisco, Shawnee State | Sr. - Waverly, Ohio
Shawnee State senior runner Olivia Cisco enjoyed another terrific week for the Bears, finishing as the fastest River States Conference runner in the Women's 6K Blue event at the Swags Louisville XC Classic in Louisville, Ky. Cisco, the fastest RSC runner by one minute, two seconds in the event, hasn't finished outside of the top-20 in any of her four cross country meets so far this season. She outran 65 NCAA Division I runners in Saturday's race.
Golfers of the Week
Male Golfer of the Week
Heidar Bjarnasson, WVU Tech | Selfoss, Iceland
Heidar Bjarnason used a scorching front nine of the second round to take the lead at the RSC Fall Preview and never look back. After a 69 in the first round put him three shots back of leader Sam Firebaugh of IU East, the WVU Tech freshman made two eagles, two birdies, and a bogey to card a front nine 31. He never relinquished the lead from there.
Female Golfer of the Week
Sophia Curry, IU East | Jr. - North Vernon, Indiana
Sophia and company led the way to a first place finish for the third tournament in a row. Sophia won the field of 28 by two stroke over fellow teammate Peityn Gillman. Curry shot a two-over in the first round, then a 79 in the second round to claim the title.