SSC Athletes of the Week | September 1 - 7, 2025
Sunshine State Conference Athletes of the Week are chosen from a pool of nominees for their regular season performances during the week of September 1 - 7, 2025. Athletic Communication Directors of member institutions nominate athletes.
Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Connor Rahn, Tampa
Sophomore - Outside Hitter - Orange Park, Florida
Rahn led Tampa to a 3-0 opening weekend at their home invitational, following 38 kills over 10 sets and a .438 hitting percentage. The Orange Park, Florida native began the season with five kills on 16 attempts in a sweep of RV Lander on Friday. She followed with 13 kills on 21 attempts in a 3-0 win against Emmanuel and 20 kills in 43 attempts in four sets against No. 24 Findlay on Saturday. Rahn averaged 3.8 kills and 1.70 digs per set last week, while also providing her team with two service aces, two assists, and a solo block.
Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Nako Sasaki, Florida Southern
Sophomore - Defensive Specialist - Fukushima, Japan
Sasaki totaled 76 digs, 5.43 per set, across 14 sets as Florida Southern went 3-0 at their home classic. The Fukushima, Japan native began the season with 24 digs in a 3-2 win against Anderson on Friday. She followed with 31 digs in a five-set contest against RV Hillsdale and 21 digs in four sets against Augusta on Saturday. Additionally, Sasaki provided the Moccasins with 17 assists and seven service aces last week.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Ula Gorjup, Lynn
Sophomore - Ljubljana, Slovenia - 2nd SSC Weekly Award
Gorjup piloted Lynn to a 4-0 start and a .331 hitting percentage with 10.83 assists per set at the Aline Pascale Lubin Invitational in Flushing, New York.. The sophomore from Ljubljana, Slovenia, led the Fighting Knights to 3-0 wins over RV Adelphi, Queens, and Wilmington and a four-set win over No. 19 Gannon with 130 assists and two errors in 281 attempts across her 13 sets played. Gorjup also gave Lynn 16 digs, 10 kills, eight service aces, and five blocks last week. The weekly award is the second of her career.
Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Viggo Svedin, Tampa
Senior - Midfield - Örebro, Sweden - 2nd SSC Weekly Award
Svedin began 2025 with two goals and two assists, in a 2-0-0 week for Tampa against nationally ranked opponents. The Swede started the season with a pair of assists in a 3-1 win over No. 13 West Florida. Svedin assisted on Felix Poschmann's game-opening score in the 7th minute and then on Oscar Warne's insurance goal in the 51st minute. The senior followed with a two-goal performance in the Spartans' 2-1 victory against No. 21 Auburn - Montgomery. Svedin found the back of the net in the 29th minute and netted the game winner in the 67th minute. For the week, he tallied six shots, three on goal, in his 122 minutes on the pitch. The weekly award is the second of his career.
Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Nikolas Ricardo, Nova Southeastern
Junior - Goalkeeper - Miami, Florida - 2nd SSC Weekly Award
Ricardo registered two wins in goal for Nova Southeastern to open the 2025 season. The Miami, Florida product faced seven shots and made two saves in a 2-0 season-opening win against No. 5 Clayton State. Ricardo followed with four saves while facing 15 shots in a 2-1 win against Flagler. The weekly award is the second of his career.
Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Alexa Bereczki, Nova Southeastern
Sophomore - Forward - Fort Myers, Florida
Bereczki tallied seven points from three goals and an assist as Nova Southeastern started 2025 with a 2-0 record. In a 7-1 dismantling of Holy Family, the forward from Fort Myers, Florida, opened the scoring with goals in the 6th and 18th minutes. Bereczki followed up by assisting the game-winning goal and scoring in a 2-0 win over Texas A&M International. The sophomore found Lova Korpas in the 8th minute to seal the win and scored unassisted in the 54th minute to provide insurance. For the week, she tallied seven shots, five of which were on goal, in her 107 minutes on the pitch.
Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Thea Nyberg, Embry-Riddle
Senior - Defender - Uppsala, Sweden
Nyberg anchored an Embry-Riddle defensive front as the Eagles defeated No. 2 Columbus State and tied No. 7 West Florida on the road. In a 2-1 win over CSU, Nyberg helped limit her opponent's 12 shots to just one shot on goal by disrupting numerous shots and intercepting several passes on counterattacks. In the 2-2 tie at UWF, Nyberg's leadership helped the Eagles in successfully defending 15 corner kicks, keeping their opponent from scoring on set pieces.
Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week
Taye Newman, Embry-Riddle
Freshman - Irvine, California
Newman was the top runner at the Swan City Cross Country Classic, which took place at Holloway Park in Lakeland, Florida. The freshman from Irvine, California, finished the 6,000-meter race in 18.19.60, which stands as an Embry-Riddle record. With Newman's performance, ERAU won the 11-team event, besting five SSC schools.
Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week
Jillian Thorning, Nova Southeastern
Junior - Doylestown, Pennsylvania - 3rd SSC Weekly Award
Thorning secured the victory at the Keiser University Flagship Cross Country Invitational, held at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach, Florida. Her time of 18:00.70 pushed her to the front of the 67-runner pack on the 5,000-meter course. The Doylestown, Pennsylvania native's performance led Nova Southeastern to a second-place finish behind Division 1 Florida Atlantic and in front of two SSC squads. The weekly award is the third of her career, second in cross country.
Week-by-Week Winners
2025 SSC Volleyball Award Winners (Offensive; Defensive; Setter)
Sept. 8: Connor Rahn (Tampa); Nako Sasaki (FSC); Ula Gorjup (Lynn)
2025 SSC Men's Soccer Award Winners (Offensive; Defensive)
Sept. 8: Viggo Svedin (Tampa); Nikolas Ricardo (NSU)
2025 SSC Women's Soccer Award Winners (Offensive; Defensive)
Sept. 8: Alexa Bereczki (NSU); Thea Nyberg (ERAU)
2025 SSC Cross Country Award Winners (Men's; Women's)
Sept. 8: Taye Newman (ERAU); Jillian Thorning (NSU)