WePlayed Sports Players of the Week - Oct. 27
Football
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Football Players of the Week for games played during week eight of the 2025 season. Carson-Newman's Zane Whitson was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Wingate's Elihu Lipscomb was named the Defensive Player of the Week, while Lenoir-Rhyne's Songa Yates was named the Special Teams Player of the Week.
Whitson, a senior from Kingsport, Tenn., was a key reason Carson-Newman handed UVA Wise a 35-14 defeat on Saturday. Whitson accounted for all five Carson-Newman touchdowns on the day to become the first Eagle to accomplish that feat since 2017. On the ground, Whitson ran nine times for 133 yards and three touchdowns with a long of 60 yards. Through the air, Whitson hit 2-of-3 passes for 61 yards and a pair of scores. This is the second weekly honor for the C-N QB.
Lipscomb, a freshman from Kings Mountain, N.C., led a Wingate defense that held Anderson to just 171 yards of total offense in a 30-3 Bulldog victory. Lipscomb had seven tackles on the day with 2.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.
Yates, a senior from Charlotte, N.C., had a monster game as LR dominated Mars Hill 45-0. Yates returned three points for a total of 82 yards which included a 70-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter, the longest of his career. Offensively, Yates hauled in five passes for 51 yards and added an additional touchdown.
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
Sep. 29 – Daniel Thomas, UVA Wise
Oct. 6 – Reed Charpia, Newberry
Oct. 13 – Bryson James, Anderson
Oct. 20 – Elijah Holmes, Wingate
Oct. 27 – 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
Sep. 29 – Ean Rhea, Emory & Henry
Oct. 6 – Evan Simons, Catawba
Oct. 13 – Carter Wit, Anderson
Oct. 20 – Cruz Temple, Carson-Newman
Oct. 27 – Elihu Lipscomb, Wingate
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
Sep. 29 – Cam Peoples, Emory & Henry
Oct. 6 – Trace Butcher, Emory & Henry
Oct. 13 – Jake Snapp, Wingate
Oct. 20 – Caleb Bonesteel, Wingate
Oct. 27 – Songa Yates, Lenoir-Rhyne
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 eight of the 2025 season. Wingate's Maya Van Heyst was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Carson-Newman's Trinity Hafey brought home Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Van Heyst, a junior from Tampa, Fla., had a huge week to lead Wingate to two more SAC wins, pushing the winning streak to 19. She piled up 12.71 assists per set while adding 23 digs, 10 kills and eight aces. The All-American had a huge match in the showdown with Anderson as the Bulldogs snapped a 10-match Trojan winning streak. She piled up 53 assists, 10 digs, eight kills and five aces while helping Wingate become the first team to hit over .300 against Anderson this season. She followed with 27 assists, 11 digs, three kills and two aces in the sweep at Mars Hill as Wingate moved to 13-0 in league play.
Hafey, a junior from Grand Junction, Colo., notched her 2nd-highest dig count of the season in the three-set sweep of Mars Hill with 21. She followed that with a 19-dig performance against Catawba to average 5.00 digs/set throughout the week. The junior captain was an anchor from the back row, leading the team in receptions and making just one error on 40 attempts throughout the week, including a flawless serve receive game against Catawba. She has now logged three games in a row with 18+ digs and is in the top 10 in the SAC in digs per set. Her defense limited both Carson-Newman opponents to hitting under .200, averaging a .164 opponent hitting percentage throughout the week.
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
Sept. 29 – Emmaleigh Allen, Lenoir-Rhyne
Oct. 6 – Sydney Morland, Wingate
Oct. 13 – Emmie Modlin, Lenoir-Rhyne
Oct. 20 – Mia Elder, Anderson
Oct. 27 – Maya Van Heyst, Wingate
Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 8 – Maddie Hoffman, Wingate
Sept. 15 – Maddie Hoffman, Wingate
Sept. 22 – Hadley Prince, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sept. 29 – Emily Johnson, Wingate
Oct. 6 – Jamie Juhnevicz, Anderson
Oct. 13 – Maddie Hoffman, Wingate
Oct. 20 – Riley Hill, Catawba
Oct. 27 – Trinity Hafey, Carson-Newman
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 seven of the 2025 season. Lincoln Memorial's Gian-Carlo Kama was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Mars Hill's Mathias Karhus Mjaavatn brought home Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Kama, a senior from Pars, France, tallied a hat trick in the Railsplitters 4-3 victory over Carson-Newman on Oct. 22. That hat trick included the game-winning goal in the 79th minute. The three goals came on just four shots and this is the econd weekly honor this season for Kama.
Karhus Mjaavatn, a freshman from Oslo, Norway, contributed on both ends of the field as Mars Hill tied Young Harris and beat Catawba. He had an assist in the 1-1 tie against Young Harris and added two more assists in the 2-1 win over Catawba.
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
Sep. 30 – Mila Mzamane, Emory & Henry
Oct. 6 – Jean-Charles Eyidi, Emory & Henry
Oct. 13 -- Voro Peris, Lenoir-Rhyne
Oct. 20 – Hector Taboada, Lenoir-Rhyne
Oct. 27 – 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
Sep. 30 – Daniel Benedek Miklosi, Lincoln Memorial
Oct. 6 – Noe Delmotte, Tusculum
Oct. 13 -- Tomas Fontes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Oct. 20 – Tomas Fontes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Oct. 27 - Mathias Karhus Mjaavatn, Mars Hill
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 seven of the 2025 season. Catawba's Bree Ehmer was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Carson-Newman's Olivia Henry brought home Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Ehmer, a junior from Melbourne, Fla., scored four goals and added an assist in Catawba's 2-0 week in which the 4th-ranked Catawba Indians outscored their opponents 10-0. The SAC's leading goal scorer logged her first career hat trick on Wednesday in a 5-0 win over North Greenville with another goal in the 5-0 win over Mars Hill on Saturday.
Henry, a freshman from Knoxville, Tenn., made the most of her first career start in goal. In that game, Henry posted a clean sheet as Carson-Newman defeated Wingate 1-0. She made six saves in the win, the second-most by a Carson-Newman goalie in their first career start in the past decade.
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
Sep. 30 – Ansley Douty, Anderson
Oct. 6 – Tilde Wahrenberg, Wingate
Oct. 13 – Morgan Delair, Catawba
Oct. 20 – Ella Matthews, Catawba
Oct. 27 – Bree Ehmer, Catawba
Defensive Player of the Week
Sep. 9 – Madison Gutierrez, Newberry
Sep. 16 – Berna Kabakci, Carson-Newman
Sep. 23 – Jenni Dähne, Catawba
Sep. 30 – Annika Fend, Carson-Newman
Oct. 6 – Aliyah Morgan, Anderson
Oct. 13 – Rhyan Parkin, Coker
Oct. 20 – Marja Enste, Tusculum
Oct. 27 – Olivia Henry, Carson-Newman
Field Hockey
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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 October 20–26, 2025. Newberry's Parker Keeler was named the Offensive Player of the Week, while Lander's Julia Matthijssen was named the Defensive Player of the Week. Offensive Player of the Week – Parker Keeler, Newberry
(Jr., F – Bridgeville, Del.)
Keeler continued her dominant senior campaign, leading the Wolves to a pair of decisive SAC victories with four goals and two assists across the week. She posted two goals and an assist in both an 8–0 win over Coker and an 8–2 victory against Converse, averaging 2.0 goals and 1.0 assist per game. Keeler finished with a .684 shots-on-goal percentage on 19 total attempts and surpassed 100 career points over the weekend. Her efficiency, consistency, and leadership were key as Newberry extended its stronghold atop the conference standings. Defensive Player of the Week – Julia Matthijssen, Lander
(Sr., D – Utrecht, Netherlands)
Matthijssen anchored a dominant Bearcats backline that didn't allow a single shot in back-to-back matches last week. She also contributed offensively, scoring a goal and assisting on two more in a 3–0 win over Maryville, a 4–0 win at Barton, and a 4–0 win at Coker. Her ability to control play from the back and push forward in transition helped Lander record three straight shutouts while outscoring opponents 11–0. Matthijssen's all-around performance highlights her as one of the top two-way defenders in the SAC this season. 2025 SAC WePlayed Sports Field Hockey Players of the Week Defensive |
Swimming
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its WePlayed Sports Swimmers of the Week for meets competed in during the week of October 17–23, 2025. Wingate's Artur Vilela de Queiroz was named the Men's Swimmer of the Week, while Wingate's Natalia Dwojak was named the Women's Swimmer of the Week.
(Fr., Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Vilela de Queiroz turned in an exceptional performance to lead the Bulldogs to a 132–130 victory over Queens University of Charlotte, marking Wingate's second straight dual meet win over the Royals. The freshman swept his three individual events, capturing first place in the 100 Breaststroke (55.45), 200 Breaststroke (2:03.59), and 200 Individual Medley (1:50.18). He also helped Wingate to a runner-up finish in the 200 Medley Relay (1:29.43). His trio of individual titles against one of the nation's premier programs solidified his status as one of the SAC's top emerging talents.
(Sr., Lublin, Poland)
Dwojak led the Bulldogs to a thrilling 132–130 dual meet victory over Queens University of Charlotte, Wingate's first-ever win over the Royals. The senior standout posted a pair of first-place finishes in the 100 Breaststroke (1:03.80) and 50 Freestyle (24.04) while also collecting silver medals in the 200 Medley Relay (1:44.96) and 200 Freestyle Relay (1:36.72). Dwojak's versatility and clutch performances in sprint and breaststroke events were crucial in securing the historic victory for the Bulldogs.
2025–26 WePlayed Sports Swimmers of the Week
Men
Oct. 13 – Maks Minichowski, Catawba
Oct. 28 – Artur Vilela de Queiroz, Wingate
Women
Oct. 13 – Eniko Onofer, Catawba
Oct. 28 – Natalia Dwojak, Wingate
Golf
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced its Golfers of the Week for tournaments played during the week of October 20–28. Wingate's Alfie Storer was named the Men's Golfer of the Week, while Lenoir-Rhyne's Danielle Bekker earned Women's Golfer of the Week honors.
Women's Golfer of the Week
Danielle Bekker, Lenoir-Rhyne
(Jr., Harare, Zimbabwe)
Lenoir-Rhyne junior Danielle Bekker turned in one of her best performances of the season at the Ralph Hayes Toyota D2 Elite Invitational, finishing tied for second in a competitive 92-player field. Bekker carded rounds of 76 and 68 for an even-par 144, with her second-round 68 standing as the lowest round of the tournament by two strokes. Her strong play helped guide the Bears to a third-place team finish—their best in a field of that size in program history.
Men's Golfer of the Week
Alfie Storer, Wingate
(Sr., Leeds, England)
Wingate senior Alfie Storer earned medalist honors at the Patriot Fall Classic after shooting a career-best 11-under-par 205 (68–67–70). He birdied his final two holes to force a playoff, ultimately prevailing on the second extra hole to secure the individual title. Storer's performance powered the Bulldogs to a program-record 30-under-par team total (834) and a 17-stroke victory, marking one of the most dominant team efforts in school history.
2025 SAC Golfers of the Week
Women's
Sept. 17 – Amely Bochaton, Wingate
Oct. 1 – Amely Bochaton, Wingate
Oct. 15 – Amely Bochaton, Wingate
Oct. 29 – Danielle Bekker, Lenoir-Rhyne
Men's
Sept. 17 – Morgan Cain, Lincoln Memorial
Oct. 1 – Harrison Price, Tusculum
Oct. 15 – Brandon Skidmore, Wingate
Oct. 29 – Alfie Storer, Wingate