SSC Athletes of the Week: October 16 - 22
Weekly Honors in Volleyball, Soccer, Cross Country, and Swimming
Sunshine State Conference Athletes of the Week | October 16 - 22, 2017
Athletes of the Week are chosen from a pool of nominees for their performances during the week of October 16 - 22, 2017. Athletes are nominated by Sports Information Directors of member institutions.
Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Sorrel Houghton / University of Tampa / Fr. / OH / Osteen, Florida
Houghton helped Tampa go 3-0 this week with wins against Eckerd College, Nova Southeastern University, and Barry University. In the match against Eckerd, Houghton had 12 kills on 37 attempts hitting .108. Against Nova Southeastern she tallied 16 kills on 34 attempts with only four errors for a .353 hitting percentage. Finally, against Barry, she recorded a career-high 21 kills on 55 attempts with only six errors, recording a .273 hitting percentage on the match. One-third of the Spartans 63 total kills against Barry came from the Osteen, Florida native. For the week, Houghton recorded 4.08 kills/set and 1.08 blocks/set, while hitting .246. Tampa now owns an 11-10 overall record and is 6-4 in SSC play.
Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Theresa Jordan / Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University / So. / RS / Vienna, Austria
Jordan is named Defensive Player of the Week after contributing in all facets to help Embry-Riddle go 3-0 this week. The Austrian totaled 18 blocks, 21 digs, 26 kills and seven service aces on the week. Jordan tallied 13 kills, eight digs, and five blocks in a 3-0 win over Florida Tech. She then recorded four kills, seven digs, and five blocks in a 3-1 victory over Saint Leo. The sophomore's top game of the week was a nine-kill / eight-block / five-ace performance in a sweep of Eckerd. The Eagles are 10-7 overall and 5-6 in conference play.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Alyssa Rudd / Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University / So. / Setter / Tallahassee, Florida
Rudd led the Eagles to a perfect 3-0 week with 108 assists, circulating the ball to help the team to a .241 attack percentage for the week. The Tallahassee, Florida product also collected 27 digs and served five aces. Rudd came up with a big performance to lead the team to a 3-1 upset of No. 25 Saint Leo, posting 44 assists, 13 digs, and three aces in the victory. She is currently leading the conference in assists/set in SSC matches. The Eagles are 10-7 overall and 5-6 in conference play.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Felipe DeSousa / University of Tampa / Sr. / Forward / Tampa, Florida
DeSousa was a key player in Tampa’s two wins last week as he scored three goals, including the two game-winning goals for the Spartans. Against Nova Southeastern University, DeSousa got the offense going, scoring the first goal late in the first half. The Spartans came out on top 3-0 over the Sharks thanks to the momentum set by the Tampa native. Against Florida Tech, DeSousa scored the first goal of the game in the eighth minute and notched the game-winner in the 88th minute to keep UT perfect at home (5-0) and improve to 5-2-2 in conference play.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Richard Dearle / Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University / So. / Goalkeeper / Nottingham, England
Dearle made six saves on the week, including four in Embry-Riddle’s 1-0 victory over Rollins on Saturday. Dearle's second shutout of the season gave the Eagles program its first SSC win in school history. It was the first win for ERAU over the Tars since 2008. Dearle tallied two saves and allowed one goal in a double-overtime draw against Flagler. The Eagles are 2-7-2 overall and 1-7-1 in conference play.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Abby Sanchez / Eckerd College / Sr. / Midfield / Tampa, Florida
Sanchez was instrumental in all four of Eckerd's goals during the week. On Wednesday, the Tampa native had two assists in a 3-2 loss at Florida Southern College. On Saturday, she scored both Eckerd goals in a 2-1 upset win over No. 7 Nova Southeastern University. Her second goal came in the 101st minute sending the Tritons to the win. EC own a 6-6 overall record and are 5-4 in SSC play.
Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Melanie Ziegner / Barry University / Jr. / Goalkeeper / Muenster, Germany
Ziegner is named Defensive Player of the Week after leading Barry to a pair of wins on the week. In non-conference action against No. 7 Nova Southeastern University, Ziegner faced eight shots and had two saves as the Buccaneers won 3-1. The Muenster, Germany native then recorded two one-on-one saves in a 2-0 shutout of Saint Leo University. With the play of Ziegner, Barry shifts to 7-2-2 overall and 5-1-2 in league play.
Men’s Golfer of the Week
John VanDerLaan / Florida Southern College / Sr. / Southbury, Connecticut
VanDerLaan led Florida Southern to the tournament title at the Copperhead Championship by winning the individual title in a playoff. VanDerLaan shot a five-under-par 208 (70-72-66), which tied him with Saint Leo University's Alberto Castagnara for first place. The 66 equaled the best round for any golfer in the tournament. VanDerLaan would then earn his win by recording a par on the playoff hole, which Castagnara bogeyed. VanDerLaan's scores also helped Florida Southern finish three shots ahead of top-ranked University of West Florida, five ahead of 3rd-place and 5th-ranked Nova Southeastern, and seven ahead of 4th-place and 2nd-ranked Lynn. The weekly honor is VanDerLaan’s third of his career.
Women’s Golfer of the Week
Kiira Riihijarvi / University of Tampa / So. / Oulu, Finland
Riihijarvi became the first player in Tampa women’s golf history to win an individual championship in a regular-season tournament. The Finn won the Saint Leo University Invitational following a two-hole playoff with Nova Southeastern University's Michelle Ruiz. In the playoff, both players parred the first hole, and Riihijarvi secured her victory with a birdie on the following hole. Her second round score of 69 was a school record as she finished at 4-under, becoming the first player in program history to shoot below par in both rounds. With rounds of 71 and 69, she finished at 140. Riihijarvi is also the first Spartan to earn SSC Women’s Golfer of the Week.
Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Magnus Poulsen / Nova Southeastern University / So. / Glostrup, Denmark
Poulsen displayed a strong performance at the DII Showcase in Melbourne Fla, guiding to the No. 3 Sharks to a second place finish at the event. The Glostrup, Denmark native won three events with two NCAA B-Cut times while contributing to a trio of top-three finishes in the relays. Poulsen snatched the only win for the men in day one with a first-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly with a provisional time of 1:50.07. The following day, Poulsen claimed first in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke swimming a B-Cut time in the butterfly at 48.71.
Women’s Swimmer of the Week
Jenna Johns / Nova Southeastern University / Fr. / Ambler, Pennsylvania
Johns repeats as Swimmer of the Week following an outstanding showing at the DII Showcase in Melbourne Florida as the No. 3 women's team won the event, topping No. 1 Drury by 71 points. The Ambler, Pennsylvania native swam three NCAA B-Cut times and contributed to two first-place finishes in the relay. Johns started with a second place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a NCAA B-cut time and season-best 24.01 and was the anchor in the 400-yard freestyle relay that placed first with a season-best 3:29.10. In day two of the competition, Johns then swam two more NCAA B-Cut times in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke finishing second and first at 56.02 and 56.46 before contributing to a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:35.02.
Week-by-Week Winners
2017 SSC Volleyball Award Winners (Offense; Defense; Setter)
Sept. 4: Nicole Mattson, Florida Southern; Jen Kruglova, Saint Leo; Anna Garrett, Saint Leo
Sept. 18: Shannon McDonough, Rollins; Olivia Roa, Embry-Riddle; Ally Rohn, Palm Beach Atlantic
Sept. 25: Denvyr Tyler-Palmer, Nova Southeastern; Sarah Kimmey, Palm Beach Atlantic; Anna Garrett, Saint Leo
Oct. 2: Ally Rohn, Palm Beach Atlantic; Olivia Hersey, Florida Tech; Bethany Besancenez, Florida Southern
Oct. 9: Nicole Mattson, Florida Southern; Olivia Roa, Embry-Riddle; Bethany Besancenez, Florida Southern
Oct. 16: Ally Rohn, Palm Beach Atlantic; Ella Duggan, Embry-Riddle; Fernanda Reis, Eckerd
Oct. 23: Sorrel Houghton, Tampa; Theresa Jordan, Embry-Riddle; Alyssa Rudd, Embry-Riddle
2017 SSC Men's Soccer Award Winners (Offense; Defense)
Sept. 4: Damian Clarke, Rollins; Drew Trautmann, Rollins
Sept. 18: Guillaume Campos, Saint Leo; Conor McElhinney, Saint Leo
Sept. 25: Bay Downing, Tampa; Julian Grundler, Rollins
Oct. 2: Max Herbert, Lynn; Alexander Roth, Lynn
Oct. 9: Cleef Desir, Palm Beach Atlantic; Elliott Barker, Palm Beach Atlantic
Oct. 16: Charlie Dennis, Palm Beach Atlantic; Drew Trautmann, Rollins
Oct. 23: Felipe DeSousa, Tampa; Richard Dearle, Embry-Riddle
2017 SSC Women's Soccer Award Winners (Offense; Defense)
Sept. 4: Erika Peitersen, Tampa; Jess Goedde, Florida Southern
Sept. 18: Ragnheidur Gardarsdottir, Embry-Riddle; Hanna Rolfsen, Embry-Riddle
Sept. 25: Maria Munoz, Florida Tech; Kelly Rowswell, Rollins
Oct. 2: Chloe Hamm, Florida Southern; Alexa Downie, Lynn
Oct. 9: Emma Heikkila, Nova Southeastern; Helena Norrstrom, Florida Southern
Oct. 16: Molly Sharpe, Barry; Casey Winn, Eckerd
Oct. 23: Abby Sanchez, Eckerd; Melanie Ziegner, Barry
2017 SSC Golf Award Winners (Men; Women)
Sept. 18: None; Tori Higgins, Florida Southern
Sept. 25: John Coultas, Florida Southern; Anna Jakobsson, Saint Leo
Oct. 2: Max O'Hagan, Florida Tech; Jaime Freedman, Nova Southeastern
Oct. 9: Dylan Allen, Palm Beach Atlantic; Taylor Heinz, Palm Beach Atlantic
Oct. 16: Morgan Egloff, Rollins; Jenny Ayala, Lynn
Oct. 23: John VanDerLaan, Florida Southern; Kiira Riihijarvi, Tampa
2017 SSC Swimming Award Winners (Men; Women)
Oct. 16: Franco Lupoli, Nova Southeastern; Jenna Johns, Nova Southeastern
Oct. 23: Magnus Poulsen, Nova Southeastern; Jenna Johns, Nova Southeastern