LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East conference has announced its Athletes of the Week for September 18, 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 11 through Sunday, September 17. A total of 12 student-athletes were recognized for their performances.
Men’s Soccer
Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division
Jack Fiacco / Jr / Cairn University / Sunderland, Md. / Northern HS
Fiacco scored 2 goals this week on only 2 shots taken (1.000 SH%), one each against Eastern in a win on Tuesday and again against Lebanon Valley on Saturday in a defeat. Fiacco has eclipsed his total points and goals tallies from his first two seasons for the Highlanders after playing over 1300 minutes and all 20 matches in 2022.
Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division
Mateo Gularte / So / Notre Dame of Maryland / Guatemala, Guatemala / Cabrini University
Gularte earned his first complete game shutout in the Gators win over Penn St. Berks. He made three key saves in the win. Gularte followed that up with an outstanding performance making eight key saves in a 1-0 loss to defending Atlantic East Champion Marymount University.
Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division
Bode Aggas / Jr / Gallaudet University / West Henrietta, NY / Rochester School for the Deaf
Aggas scored his first career goal with a hard high shot that went through the goalie's hands as GU lost 2-1 to Wilson College last Sunday. GU's normal netminder had to move up to forward in the home contest against the Phoenix.
Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division
Ethan Brazier / Jr / Penn State Berks / East Northport, NY / East Northport
Ethan Brazier turned in a couple of stellar performances in net for the Nittany Lions this past week. The junior goalkeeper recorded two saves in a setback to Notre Dame of Maryland University. Brazier followed it up with a season-high 10 saves in a 1-1 draw with DeSales University. Brazier previously was the United East Defensive Player of the Week for the week of September 5, 2022.
Women’s Soccer
Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division
Halley Shaffer / So / Wilson College / Sunbury, Pa. / Line Mountain HS
Shaffer led Wilson to a 3-0 week with three goals and an assist. She opened up with a goal in a victory over Christendom on Monday before making the assist on the lone goal in a win against St. Vincent on Wednesday. On Friday, she capped off the week with both goals in a 2-0 blanking of Eastern Mennonite. She leads the Skye Division with eight goals on the year
Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division
Rebecca Marakovitz / Jr. / Wilson College / New Market, Md. / Linganore HS
Marakovitz helped the Phoenix go unbeaten on the week with two shutouts in three games. After opening up the week with a save in one half of play against Christendom, she blanked St. Vincent with a six-save effort in a 1-0 victory. Two days later she blanked Eastern Mennonite in a 2-0 triumph with four saves. 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 and September 11, 2023..
Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division
Kaelynn Sheetz / Sr / Pennsylvania College of Technology / Elizabethtown, Pa. / Elizabethtown Area HS
Sheetz scored five goals and dished out an assist in a 2-0-1 week for Penn College. She found the back of the net twice, and had an assist, in a 4-1 win over Cairn. The senior followed that up with three scores in a 6-1 victory against Alfred State. This is the fourth Player of the Week honor for Sheetz (September 26, 2022, October 3, 2022, October 24, 2022) who was a First Team All-United East honoree in 2022 as well.
Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division
Janae Bergey / So / Lancaster Bible College / Milton, Pa. / Milton
Bergey has been central in the Chargers 5-0 start to 2023 with five straight shutouts. Having not been scored on for all of 2023, Bergey and the Chargers defense allowed only a combined four shots on goal this week. Bergey earned a spot on the First Team All-United East at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
Women’s Volleyball
Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division
Miasia Ferrer / Sr / Notre Dame College of Maryland / Owings Mills, Md. / Owings Mills HS
Ferrer recorded 38 total kills in four games this past week. She averaged 2.71 kills per set and 9.5 kills per game as NDMU defeated Hood College and Trinity Washington University. Ferrer set a new career-high for kills in the teams matchup with St. Mary's College where she posted 18 kills. In the match with Trinity Washington, Ferrer played in 2 of the 3 sets recording 5 kills on 7 swings hitting .714
Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division
Paulina Hernandez / Sr / Notre Dame of Maryland University / El Paso, Tx. / Perry Hall HS
Hernandez recorded 73 total digs in three games this week. She averaged 24.3 digs per game. Hernandez set a new career-high with 42 digs in the team's game against St. Mary's College, the fourth most in a single game in school history. In addition, she recorded 14 service aces, averaging 4.6 service aces per match. This is the fifth 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 and September 11, 2023. Hernandez earned a spot on the CSAC Second Team in 2022 as well.
Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division
Ella Gamble / Jr / Gallaudet University / Cullwhee, NC / Smoky Mountain HS
Gamble set the table for the Bison offense as the team's main setter as the Bison rolled to a 4-0 week. The junior transfer tallied 118 assists in 10 sets played last week. GU has now won eight straight matches with the last seven coming in 3-0 fashion. Gallaudet has won 22 consecutive sets. Gamble tallied the second most assists this season with 45 in a 3-0 win last Wednesday at Dickinson. She finished the week with 24 digs, five kills, four service aces, one block assist and no reception errors.
Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division
Julia Choe / Sr / Penn State Harrisburg / Sterling, Va. / Virginia Academy
Across four matches, the senior racked up 67 total digs, including a career-high 30 digs in a five-set thriller at Rutgers-Camden on Saturday afternoon, and currently leads the Volt Division in total digs (164). The libero averaged nearly 17 digs per match and 4.5 digs per set to go along with seven service aces and six assists during a 2-2 week for the Lions.
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The United East boasts 17 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Clarks Summit University, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.