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, March 23 through Sunday, March 29.
Men's Volleyball Players of the Week
Attacker of the Week
Camilo Murillo, Rio Grande | So. - Setter - Cali, Colombia
Murillo was unstoppable at the net this past week, leading the RedStorm to victories over Midway and IU East. The sophomore averaged 4.71 kills per set, racking up 18 against Midway and 15 against IU East. He finished the week with an attack percentage of .471.
Setter of the Week
Mitch Bartecki, Rio Grande | Sr. - Setter - Valparaiso, Indiana
Bartecki ran the RedStorm offense efficiently in two conference victories over Midway and IU East. The senior averaged 12.29 assists per set, finishing with 86 assists in seven sets played. He dished out 51 assists against the Eagles, then came back with another 35 against the Red Wolves.
Defender of the Week
Luis Vivius, Georgetown | Fr. - Middle Blocker - Barranquilla, Colombia
Vivius produced 15 blocks this week, 12 assists and three solos. He also added 15 kills and three digs with a .464 attacking percentage, helping the Tigers to a 3-0 week with wins over Oakland City, Brescia, and St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
Baseball Players of the Week
Player of the Week
Diego Mendoza, Shawnee State | Sr. - Utility - Carolina, Puerto Rico
Mendoza made his mark in each of Shawnee State's four games this week, including a conference sweep over WVU Tech. The senior went 7-for-13, driving in eight runs. His breakout game was game two against WVU Tech, where he went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and five runs batted in.
Pitcher of the Week
Brendan Whalen, IU Southeast | Sr. - Pitcher - Grayslake, Illinois
Whalen posted one of the best outings for any pitcher in the nation on Sunday, tossing a complete game shutout against Kentucky Christian. The senior allowed just one walk and two hits, setting down 13 KCU hitters via the strikeout in a 13-0 victory.
Softball Players of the Week
Player of the Week
Gabby Adams, Shawnee State | Sr. - Infield - Grove City, Ohio
Adams hit safely in all six Shawnee State games this past week, leading the Bears to four wins and keeping Shawnee State among the RSC's best. The senior drove in eight runs and scored four, with four of those RBIs coming in a 16-4 victory over Kentucky Christian on Tuesday.
Pitcher of the Week
Abbie Deeds, Shawnee State | Fr. - Pitcher - Ironton, Ohio
Deeds went 3-0 on the week, earning the win in each of her three starts against conference opposition. The freshman allowed just one earned run across 23.1 innings, as the Ironton native not only started three games, but came out of the bullpen in two more.
Tennis Players of the Week
Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Samarbir Sidhu, Oakland City | Sr. - Nagar, India
Samarbir Sidhu has been dominant all season and started the conference season off well going 3-0 in singles and 1-0 in doubles. He swept his singles matches against Shawnee State, IU East, and IU Southeast, and added a 6-1 doubles win over the Red Wolves.
Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Melissa De Jong, Oakland City | So. - Netherlands
Melissa De jong is off to a hot start this season winning six of seven in singles overall and going 8-0 this week in singles and doubles only dropping 6 games total across 4 matches, all against River States Conference opposition.
Golfers of the Week
Male Golfer of the Week
Josh Thompson, Brescia | Sophomore
Thompson earned a top ten finish at the LTU Heritage Hill Collegiate, played at the Heritage Hill GC in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Thompson's best rounds were his first and third rounds, when he carded two-over scores of 74.
Female Golfer of the Week
Peityn Gillman, IU East | Fr. - Liberty, Indiana
Gillman tied for seventh overall at the LTU Heritage Hill Collegiate in Kentucky, and played even with one of the top 50 players in the nation. The freshman finished the tournament on a strong note, carding a three-over 75 in the final round.
Outdoor Track Athletes of the Week
Male Track Athlete of the Week
Isaiah Lanoy, Shawnee State | Jr. - Lancaster, Ohio
Lanoy broke Shawnee State's nine-year 3,000-meter steeplechase record by nearly eight seconds, running in an NCAA Division I-heavy field at the Raleigh Relays. It was the 12th-fastest time in NAIA history, and currently ranks No. 1 across NAIA schools.
Male Field Athlete of the Week
Gabe Wedmore, IU Kokomo | Sr. - Summitville, Indiana
Gabe Wedmore threw a personal best shot put at the Marian Knight Open finishing 2nd. He won the Hammer Throw at the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers Spring Classic with an NAIA B Standard throw that puts him #1 in the conference and #7 in the nation while also setting an all time facility record at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Cook Stadium.
Female Track Athlete of the Week
Phoebe Dowty, IU Columbus | Fr. - Trafalgar, Indiana
Phoebe Dowty won the 1500 meters (4:55.99) and the 800 meters (2:27.89) at the Hanover Invitational. She is currently ranked fifth in the RSC for both the 1500m and the 800m.
Female Field Athlete of the Week
Sydney Duncan, IU Kokomo | Jr. - Anderson, Indiana
Sydney Duncan threw an NAIA A Standard in the Shot Put, winning the event at the Marian Knight Open, and is ranked #1 in the nation. She also competed at the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers Spring Classic. She threw an NAIA A Standard in the Discus Throw, winning the event, and is ranked #2 in the nation, while setting the all time facility record at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - Cook Stadium. She finished 2nd in the Hammer Throw.