WePlayed Sports Players of the Week - Sep. 22

September 22, 2025

Football

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Football Players of the Week for games played during week three of the 2025 season. Carson-Newman's Zane Whitson was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Emory & Henry's A.J. Burgess was named the Defensive Player of the Week, while Wingate's Rivers Teeter was named the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Whitson, a senior from Kingsport, Tenn., led the Eagles to a win over nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday with a monster performance. He became the first Carson-Newman QB to rush for over 150 yards since 2019 with his 22 carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63-yard run to ice the game late. In the 24-7 victory, he also connected on 7-of-9 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown pass.

Burgess, a senior from Roxboro, N.C., was a standout for an Emory & Henry defense that allowed just 13 points from Tusculum and held the Pioneers to 177 yards of total offense and just 3.0 yards per carry on the ground. Burgess had 13 total tackles, including one for a loss, and forced a fumble in the Wasps road victory.

Teeter, a junior from West Columbia, S.C., had a nearly perfect night punting the ball, helping #23 Wingate dominate the field possession game in a 28-7 SAC-opening win at UVA Wise. Three of Teeter's four punts on the night were downed inside the five yard line and he averaged 44.3 yards per punt on the night. His first punt of the night was a 39-yarder downed at the Wise three yard line, while his second punt was a 51-yarder downed at the two. Teeter saved his best for his third punt, a 49-yarder downed at the UVA Wise one yard line. Teeter also served as the holder for all four successful PATs.

2025 SAC Football Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week

Sep. 1 – Jordan Jackson, Emory & Henry
Sep. 8 – Khamoni Robinson, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sep. 15 – Preston Brown, Catawba
Sep. 22 – Zane Whitson, Carson-Newman

Defensive Player of the Week

Sep. 1 – Evan Simons, Catawba
Sep. 8 – Mikey Blandin, Newberry
Sep. 15 – Sakarri Morrison, Mars Hill
Sep. 22 – A.J. Burgess, Emory & Henry

Special Teams Player of the Week

Sep. 1 – Caleb Bonesteel, Wingate
Sep. 8 – Burke Nettles, Newberry
Sep. 15 – Elijah Swett, Anderson
Sep. 22 – Rivers Teeter, Wingate

Volleyball

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Sports Volleyball Players of the Week for matches played during week three of the 2025 season. Wingate's Sydney Morland was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Lenoir-Rhyne's Hadley Prince brought home Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Morland, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., had a dominant and efficient week, as #20 Wingate started league play 2-0 with wins at Catawba and at home against Tusculum. Morland hit .463 for the week, piling up 28 kills against just three errors in 54 swings, while adding nine blocks. She had 16 kills and seven blocks in the win at Catawba, while collecting 12 kills without an error in 20 swings against Tusculum, hitting .600 while adding 2 more blocks.

Prince, a senior from Lynchburg, Va., helped the Bears to convincing SAC sweeps of Anderson and Carson-Newman last week. Prince had 14 digs against the Trojans and followed that up with 15 digs against the Eagles. For the week, she was 20-for-20 in service receptions and added three service aces and three assists on the offensive side.

2025 SAC Volleyball Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week

Sep. 8 – Maya Van Heyst, Wingate
Sept. 15 – Emerson Ahsmuhs, Carson-Newman
Sept. 22 – Sydney Morland, Wingate

Defensive Player of the Week

Sept. 8 – Maddie Hoffman, Wingate
Sept. 15 – Maddie Hoffman, Wingate
Sept. 22 – Hadley Prince, Lenoir-Rhyne

Men's Soccer

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Sports Men's Soccer Players of the Week for matches played during week three of the 2025 season. Lincoln Memorial's Gian-Carlo Kama was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Coker's Ismael Caria brought home Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Kama, a senior from Paris, France, helped Lincoln Memorial overcome a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 13 Catawba 3-2 on Saturday. Kama scored the first goal of the day for the Railsplitters then came back to net the game-winner to total four points on three shots. The win was the first win over a ranked team on the year for LMU.

Caria, a junior from Monagas, Venezuela, made five saves in a 1-0 clean sheet over Carson-Newman on Saturday. The win helped Coker improve to 1-0-3 overall and moved them to 1-0 in SAC play.

2025 SAC Men's Soccer Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week

Sep. 9 – Guillermo Garcia, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sep. 16 – Mate Kenyeres, Catawba
Sep. 23 – Gian-Carlo Kama, Lincoln Memorial

Defensive Player of the Week

Sep. 9 – Josh Moore, Mars Hill
Sep. 16 – Franco Antoniolli, Anderson
Sep. 23 – Ismael Caria, Coker

Women's Soccer

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Sports Women's Soccer Players of the Week for matches played during week three of the 2025 season. Lenoir-Rhyne's Lucia Hidalgo was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Catawba's Jenni Dähne brought home Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Hidalgo, a sophomore from Vila Seca, Spain, netted two goals on the week, with the first being against regional power Columbus St. as the Bears came away with a 2-1 victory. Hidalgo would add the game-winner on Saturday in a 2-0 triumph over Emory & Henry to give her four points on the week. For the season, the sophomore has four goals in six games.

Dähne, a sophomore from Oyten, Germany, racked up nine saves across two clean sheet efforts to give 11th-ranked Catawba a 2-0 start in SAC play. Dahne has totaled 24 saves now, leading a Catawba defense that has allowed just 1 goal on the season. Dahne ranks first in the SAC among goalkeepers with at least four starts with a .960 save percentage.

2025 SAC Women's Soccer Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week

Sep. 9 – Bree Ehmer, Catawba
Sep. 16 – Molly Bukiewicz, Carson-Newman
Sep. 23 – Lucia Hidalgo, Lenoir-Rhyne

Defensive Player of the Week

Sep. 9 – Madison Gutierrez, Newberry
Sep. 16 – Berna Kabakci, Carson-Newman
Sep. 23 - Jenni Dähne, Catawba

Cross Country

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Sports Cross Country Runners of the Week for meets competed in during the week of Sept. 15–21. Anderson's Spain Vaughan was named the Men's Runner of the Week, while Catawba's Madi Clay earned Women's Runner of the Week honors.

Men's Runner of the Week – Spain Vaughan, Anderson

Vaughan, a graduate student from Greer, S.C., captured the individual title at the Bulldog Stampede hosted by Wingate on Saturday. He crossed the line in 21:43.73 to secure first place and led the Trojans to the team victory with 40 points. His performance contributed just one point to Anderson's score, anchoring the Trojans' dominance in the event.

Women's Runner of the Week – Madi Clay, Catawba

Clay, a senior from Morganton, N.C., claimed the women's individual crown at the Bulldog Stampede with a time of 21:24.76, finishing nearly 20 seconds clear of the rest of the field. Her win marked the seventh individual title of her collegiate career and helped propel the 28th-ranked Catawba Indians to the team championship at the meet.

2025 SAC Cross Country Runners of the Week

Women

Sept. 9 – Hannah Caudill, Catawba
Sept. 15 – Ziola Sicilia, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sept. 23 – Madi Clay, Catawba

Men

Sept. 9 – Tyler Shumate, Newberry
Sept. 15 – Nathan Buckeridge, Tusculum
Sept. 23 – Spain Vaughan, Anderson

Field Hockey

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Sports Field Hockey Players of the Week for games played during the week of September 15–21, 2025. Newberry's Wibien Dahmen was named the Offensive Player of the Week, while teammate Ayanda Mangenah earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Offensive Player of the Week – Wibien Dahmen, Newberry

Dahmen, a junior forward, delivered a breakout week for the Wolves' attack, helping lead Newberry to a pair of ranked victories. After contributing offensively in the 4–2 win over No. 6 Mansfield, she erupted against No. 4 West Chester with two goals on two shots, posting a perfect 1.000 shooting percentage. Dahmen finished the game with four points and played a key role in Newberry's 3–0 shutout over the nationally ranked Golden Rams.

Defensive Player of the Week – Ayanda Mangenah, Newberry

Mangenah anchored the Wolves' back line in the victories over Mansfield and West Chester, helping Newberry take down a pair of nationally ranked opponents. She was instrumental in limiting No. 4 West Chester to just three shots in the 3–0 shutout while also contributing to the transition play that fueled Newberry's attack. Her steady defensive presence has been central to the Wolves' unbeaten start.

2025 SAC Field Hockey Players of the Week

Offensive

Sept. 9 – Amparo Figueroa, Converse
Sept. 15 – Parker Keeler, Newberry
Sept. 23 – Wibien Dahmen, Newberry

Defensive

Sept. 9 – Svenja Brandt, Wingate
Sept. 15 – Payton Keeler, Newberry
Sept. 23 – Ayanda Mangenah, Newberry