Crossroads League Announces Athletes of the Week | September 19-25

Crossroads League Athletes-of-the-Week Page

JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the league's top individual performances from September 19-25. 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
Maddy Payne, Bethel
Payne led RV Bethel to a 3-0 week that included a four-set win over No. 3 Marian. The junior middle blocker posted 17 kills with just one error in that upset win and closed the week with 3.3 kills per set and a .452 hitting percentage in the trio of victories.

Volleyball Defender of the Week
Jackeline Fernandez, Bethel
Fernandez had a pair of showings with at least 25 digs for RV Bethel, including a 25-dig gem in BU's upset of No. 3 Marian. The junior libero added 26 digs in a five-set win over RV Mount Vernon Nazarene and averaged 4.8 digs per set in three Pilot wins.

Volleyball Setter of the Week
Paige Brenner, Mount Vernon Nazarene
Brenner helped RV Mount Vernon Nazarene to a 2-1 week with 11.5 assists, 1.7 digs, 1.6 assists and 0.5 blocks per set. Brenner registered 61 assists and 11 digs in a five-set loss to RV Bethel and hit .514 in the three matches.

Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Audrey Lerch, Bethel
Lerch went off for five goals over two matches for Bethel, finding the back of the net on five of her 11 total shots. The senior forward posted a hat trick in BU's 4-0 win over Concordia and added both of the Pilot scores in a 2-2 draw against Saint Francis.

Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Noelle Rolfsen, Marian
Rolfsen recorded a shutout win over No. 18 Grace, posting four saves between the posts for No. 3 Marian in its 2-0 victory over the Lancers.

Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Nathan Ntalu, Spring Arbor
Ntalu registered two goals and one assist for Spring Arbor in wins over Siena Heights and Huntington. The freshman forward had a hand in both of SAU's scores against Huntington, scoring one and assisting another in the 2-0 victory.

Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Finn Popescu, Bethel
Popescu posted a pair of shutouts in net for No. 13 Bethel, helping the Pilots to a 3-0 win over Cornerstone and a 5-0 blanking of Saint Francis in the Crossroads League opener. Popescu tallied a total of three saves in the two matches.

Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week
Eli Fullerton, Indiana Wesleyan
Fullerton led No. 1-ranked Indiana Wesleyan at the Griak Invite, hosted by the University of Minnesota. Fullerton placed seventh overall with a time of 25:38, helping IWU take fourth-of-29 teams at the event.

Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Sofia Loren Munoz, Indiana Wesleyan
Munoz went a combined 4-0 for Indiana Wesleyan during its run to a 31st-straight Crossroads League Tournament Championship. Munoz won each of her matches at No. 2 singles and also went 2-0 at No. 1 doubles for the Wildcats.

Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Javier Gallego, Grace
Gallego helped Grace earn its first-ever Crossroads League Tournament Championship in men's tennis, going 3-0 at No. 2 singles and winning two more matches at No. 2 doubles during the tournament for the Lancers.