General 9/11/2023 2:30:00 PM United East Athletes of the Week - September 11, 2023 LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East conference has announced its Athletes of the Week for September 11, 2023. This includes Athletes of the Week for both the Skye and Volt Divisions in Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, and Women’s Volleyball. This week’s selections included contests from Monday, September 5 through Sunday, September 10. A total of 12 student-athletes were recognized for their performances. Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Hector Alvarez / Jr / Notre Dame of Maryland University / Frederick, MD / Frederick CC/Governor Thomas Johnson HS Alvarez scored four goals and handed out three assists in a matchup with Gallaudet University. The victory was historic as it was NDMU's first as a program and Alvarez's hat trick was the first in program history. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Logan Neves / FY / Wilson College / Fredericksburg, Va. / Colonial Forge HS Neves opened the weekend in Virginia with a season-best 12 saves on 37 shots faced against unbeaten Bridgewater, keeping the Eagles scoreless until the 76th minute. He reached double digits again with 10 saves the following day at Eastern Mennonite on 19 shots faced. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Eljo Agolli / Jr / Penn St. Abington / Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast HS In a 2-1-0 week for the Nittany Lions, Eljo Agolli totaled three goals, scoring one in each game. The 2022 First Team All-United East selection is currently tied for 4th in Goals Scored (3) as well as Total Points (7 points / 5 Games Played). Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Matt Sheldon / Sr / Penn St. Abington / Perkasie, Pa. / Pennridge HS Sheldon finished the week 2-1-0 in net for the Nittany Lions and totaled 16 saves as the team competed in the Brick City Classic hosted by Rutgers-Newark. In the team's 2-0 triumph against Newark, Sheldon tied his career-high with nine saves. He finished the game against TCNJ with five saves to reach 150 for his career. Sheldon entered the season ranked 2nd all-time in program history in total saves. Sheldon totaled two saves earlier in the week in the 6-1 victory at Bryn Athyn. This is the 3rd United East Athlete of the Week honor for Sheldon who previously won the award on the weeks of September 4, 2023 and September 12, 2022. Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Kira Bradley / So / Bryn Athyn College / Levittown, Pa. / Neshaminy HS Bradley helped lead the Lions to an undefeated week powered behind her 7 point week, 3 goals and 1 assist. Bradley was key to the Lions 3-2 win over Centenary where she logged the game winning goal in the 61st minute and assisted on the insurance goal 10 minutes later. On Saturday, the sophomore netted two goals against Gwynedd Mercy. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Rebecca Marakovitz / Jr. / Wilson College / New Market, Md. / Linganore HS Marakovitz played 90 minutes of shutout soccer in a pair of games over the past week. She opened up by closing the second half in a 0-0 clean sheet against Penn in Wilson's first taste of United East competition, albeit a non-conference game. She followed up by playing the first half and making three saves and allowing no goals in a 5-3 win against Penn State-Abington. Marakovitz earned a Second Team All-CSAC nod in 2022 as well as Defensive Player of the Week for the week of October 17, 2022. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Ashley Harlicker / Jr / Gallaudet University / Shenandoah, Tx. / Texas School for the Deaf Harlicker had a career weekend as the junior scored nine goals in two games as GU went 2-0 for the week. Harlicker scored a program record six goals in an 8-1 win over Penn St.-Scranton last Sunday. The 12 points in a game also tied the program record. The day prior, Harlicker netted a hat trick in the first half in a 4-0 win over Valley Forge in a lightning-shortened game. Harlicker now has 10 goals on 14 shots on goal (18 total shots) for 20 points in four games. Harlicker leads the United East in goals, shots on goal, points, and game-winning goals. Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Kylie Wells / Jr / St. Mary’s College of Maryland / Middletown, Md. / Middletown HS Kylie Wells tallied a 0.50 GAA and a 0.917 save percentage as Wells notched a 1-1 record. She made a season-best eight saves in a 1-0 loss at Hood before notching three stops in her first shutout of the season against Mt. St. Mary (NY). Women’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Ava Grapsy / Sr / Cedar Crest College / Macungie, Pa. / Allentown Central Catholic Grapsy had 32 kills, 32 assists, three service aces, and 45 digs in a 2-1 week for Cedar Crest, highlighted by a triple-double of 12 kills, 18 assists, and 26 digs in a five set loss to Moravian. She then turned in a double-double of 12 digs and 14 digs in a win over Penn State Berks and finished with eight kills, 12 assists, and five digs in a sweep of FDU-Florham. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Paulina Hernandez / Sr / Notre Dame of Maryland University / El Paso, Tx. / Perry Hall HS Hernandez averaged 23.6 digs per game. Her standout performance came against Penn State York, where Hernandez recorded 37 digs, the sixth most in a single game in program history. This is the fourth Defensive Player of the Week for Hernandez who previously earned the honor for the weeks of September 27, 2021, September 6, 2022, and September 19, 2022 while NDMU was a part of the CSAC. Hernandez earned a spot on the CSAC Second Team in 2022 as well. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Natalie Clayberg / Sr / Gallaudet University / Pella, Ia. / Pella HS Clayberg made her debut this past week and helped to lead the Bison to a 4-1 record as GU went a perfect 4-0 at the Shenandoah Invitational last weekend. Clayberg played in all five matches this past week and tallied 54 kills, 43 digs, eight service aces and six blocks. Clayberg's attack percentage was .210 with a 2.84 kills per set average. Clayberg made a season-high 19 kills against Misericordia in a 3-2 thriller. Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Cassidy Perry / Jr / Gallaudet University / Frederick, Md. / Maryland School for the Deaf Perry led the Bison with 18 blocks (six solo) last week as Gallaudet posted a 4-1 record. Perry finished the week with 42 kills (.240 attack percentage), 18 blocks and 10 digs in 19 sets played (five matches). The Bison won the Shenandoah Invitational with a perfect 4-0 mark over the weekend. Perry made 12 kills and four blocks in a 3-2 loss at Marymount. She had a season-high six blocks in a 3-0 win against Hood last Friday. Perry was the Offensive Player of the Week for September 4, 2023 as well as a Second-Team honoree in 2022. 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