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 8 through Sunday, September 14.
Women's Volleyball Players of the Week
Attacker of the Week
Lexi Broyles, IU Kokomo | Sr. - Middle Hitter - DeMotte, Indiana
Senior Lexi Broyles led the 18th-ranked Cougars to three dominant sweeps over the weekend, flooring 24 kills with an astonishing hitting percentage of .525. Lexi also totaled eight blocks and 29.5 points in victories over Brescia, Oakland City, and Bryan College.
Setter of the Week
Elle McLoughlin, Rio Grande | Sr. - Setter - Zanesville, Ohio
McLoughlin led the RedStorm to a 2-0 start in conference play, with Rio Grande sweeping both IU East and Midway. McLoughlin racked up 28 assists in the sweep over the Red Wolves, a rematch of last season's RSC Tournament semifinal, then added ten assists in a single set against Midway.
Defender of the Week
Megan Steele, Shawnee State | Sr. - Libero - Chillicothe, Ohio
Steele averaged 29.5 digs in her two matches -- including a career-high 33 digs against Pikeville (Ky.) in a straight set win over UPike -- and posted a service reception percentage of .967. Her backline efforts helped lead Shawnee State to a 2-0 weekend and match its best start to a season since 2021 through its first 15 matches of the year (11-4).
Men's Soccer Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Sei Aitoku, Shawnee State | So. - Midfielder - Yokohama, Japan
Aitoku helped the Bears put up three goals in the first 10 minutes as SSU took a 3-0 halftime lead. Aitoku then played a part in both second half goals, scoring again in the 54th minute on the side of the net off of a header from Belo Bitencourt and then placing a perfect corner kick to fellow teammate Joao Coqueti Leo in the 66th to close out Shawnee State's scoring and give the Bears a 5-0 lead before SSU brought in subs.
Defensive Player of the Week
Luka Felix, WVU Tech | Sr. - Goalkeeper - Óbidos, Portugal
The reigning River States Conference Defensive Player of the Year continued to be a standout for the Golden Bears. WVU Tech knocked off Campbellsville, 2-1, on Friday, with Felix making eight key saves in the victory.
Women's Soccer Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Allana Colen Porto, Brescia | Jr. - Midfielder - Contagem, Brazil
Colen Porto tallied four goals this week, scoring one in the win over Harris-Stowe and three in the win over UHSP, her first hat trick of the year. She also assisted on a goal in each matchup, leading the Bearcats to a 3-2 win over Harris-Stowe and an 8-1 triumph over UHSP.
Defensive Player of the Week
Zoe Bippus, IU Columbus | Fr. - Goalkeeper - Evansville, Indiana
Bippus posted two shutouts this past week with a perfect 1.000 save percentage, totaling 7 saves in 135 minutes. She made one save in a 14-0 win over Alice Lloyd and followed with 6 saves in a 2-0 shutout of Eureka, finishing with a flawless 0.00 GAA.
Cross Country Runners of the Week
Male Runner of the Week
Jackson Neibert, IU Columbus | So. - Nashville, Indiana
Neibert led the way for the Crimson Pride on the campus of Hanover College. In the 6k race, the sophomore placed 16th out of 59 competing runners with a time of 21:17, setting a new school record in the 6K in the process.
Female Runner of the Week
Phoebe Dowty, IU Columbus | Fr. - Trafalgar, Indiana
Dowty was IU Columbus' top runner on the campus of Hanover College, and was rewarded with a top ten finish. The Indiana native placed sixth out of 69 runners with a time of 20:49.
Golfers of the Week
Male Golfer of the Week
Tristan Mitchell, Midway | Jr. - Cynthiana, Kentucky
The junior shot four under-par and helped lead Midway to a come-from-behind victory at the Pretty Lake Invitational. Mitchell's performance was highlighted by a five-under par 67 in the second round, powering him to a second place finish on the individual leaderboard.
Female Golfer of the Week
Rachael Shaffer, IU Southeast | So. - New Albany, Indiana
A transfer from Purdue Northwest, Shaffer shined in her first performance at IU Southeast, finishing 3rd overall at the Maggie Mountain Invitational in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. The sophomore logged scores of 77 and 80 at Stonecrest, leading the Grenadiers to a third place finish as a team.