TSWA honors college players of the week

December 3, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Chattanooga senior guard Trey Bonham had a great week as he helped lead the Mocs to the Coke Classic MTE title en route to this week’s selection as the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

Bonham, a product of Mobile, Ala., averaged 21.5 points on the week with 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as he shot 51.7 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from 3-point range with a solid 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

During the Mocs’ 85-78 victory over in-state foe Tennessee State, Bonham broke past the 1,200-point mark with 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting with three 3-pointers, while also pulling down seven boards and collecting four dimes. Bonham then had 15 points, three assists and two rebounds in an 84-76 victory over Bryant in what was essentially the MTE’s title game to continue the Mocs’ five-game winning streak.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Middle Tennessee senior center Anastasiia Boldyreva was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week as the Blue Raiders picked up a pair of wins over Florida A&M and Purdue before falling in a battle to No. 15 Iowa State.

On the week, the Moscow, Russia, native collected 52 points, 23 rebounds and seven blocks.

She scored a season-high 19 points with seven boards and a block in the 80-54 victory over FAMU as she went 8-for-9 from the field, including a 3-pointer in 22 minutes of action. She tied that season-high and pulled down 10 caroms to get the double-double in the 54-49 win over Purdue.

Boldyreva finished the week with 14 points, six rebounds and a steal against the Cyclones and was named to the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off All-Tournament Team.

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb)
11/19 | Doyel Cockrill III (Fisk)
11/26 | Russ Marr (Sewanee)
12/3 | Trey Bonham (Chattanooga)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jennifer Sullivan (Carson-Newman)
11/19 | Ni’Kiah Chesterfield (Tusculum)
11/26 | Molly Heard (Lipscomb)
12/3 | Anastasiia Boldyreva (Middle Tennessee)

College players of the week announced - Nov. 26

November 27, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Chattanooga wrapped up its regular season with a victory over Austin Peay and took both Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Players of the Week honors as senior quarterback Chase Artopoeus and junior linebacker Alex Mitchell were selected for the awards.

Artopoeus had missed the last three games due to an injury and came into Saturday’s game against the Governors as a backup. He entered the game in the first half, then was involved in three touchdowns to lead the Mocs to the 24-17 victory.

The Orcutt, Calif., native threw for 161 yards as he completed 15-of-21 passes with two touchdowns. His first pass of the game was a nine-yard scoring strike to Javin Whatley, then threw a seven-yard touchdown to John McIntyre for the game-winning score early in the fourth quarter. Artopoeus also ran for a three-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

On the defensive side of the ball, Mitchell led the Mocs with nine tackles, with a sack for a TFL, a forced fumble, an interception and two pass breakups. It was his third career interception – and the first not against Samford.

The win gave Chattanooga its ninth road win in its last 11 Football Championship Subdivision road trips.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech senior outside hitter continued to rack up accolades as this week’s Volleyball Player of the Week. Isringhausen was a beast for the Golden Eagles over the final two matches of the regular season, helping Tech extend its winning streak to seven straight matches by averaging 5.17 kills, 1.00 blocks, an absurd 2.17 service aces, and 7.92 points per set while hitting .403 from the outside.

The senior opened the week with 13 kills on a .367 attack, four blocks, and 13 digs for her ninth double-double of the year. The highlight came from the service line, as the Edwardsville native set a new rally-scoring era program record with eight aces, including six alone in the first set. She followed it up with a whopping 18 kills and .432 hitting percentage on Wednesday, adding five more aces, two blocks, and 15 digs for her 10th double-double on the year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Sewanee’s Russ Marr hit a milestone en route to the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor as he scored a career-high 50 points in the Tigers’ road win over McMurry.

He shot an impressive 64-percent from 3-point range as he drained seven of 11 long-range tries and was 65-percent from the field overall as he was 15-of-23 in just 28 minutes of action. Marr also collected two rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game.

A day earlier, Marr scored 18 points with two rebounds, three blocks, an assist and a steal against LeTourneau, then had 20 points, four steals, four rebounds, four assists and a block against Piedmont.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Lipscomb junior guard Molly Heard earned the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honor after she collected 32 points in Lipscomb’s 86-79 victory over Evansville.

In the contest, she was 10-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range and added 8-for-11 at the free-throw line.

Heard, from Pisgah, Ala., scored 11 points in the first half, then shot 6-for-10 on the court and 7-for-9 at the stripe for 21 points over 18 minutes in the second half. She put the game away in the fourth quarter with 12 of Lipscomb’s final 24 points.

She set new career-highs in points scored, free throws made and attempted and matched her career high in 3-pointers made. It was the first 30-point game of her career and the ninth in Lipscomb program history and tied for the third-most points scored.

TSWA names college players of the week - Nov. 19

November 19, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Memphis senior quarterback Seth Henigan had an impressive game in the victory over UAB, earning this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Football Offensive Player of the Week.

Henigan threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns, completing 23-of-34 passes. The four touchdowns gave him 100 for his career and made him one of three active quarterbacks – joining Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Washington’s Will Rogers – to reach the century mark. Henigan is also the only active Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback to post four 20-plus touchdown pass seasons at the same school.

On the defensive side, Tennessee Tech junior defensive lineman Daniel Rickert added to his hardware for the week as he was also named the Stats FCS National Defensive Player of the Week and the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association Defensive Player of the Week after helping lead the Golden Eagles to a 10-9 upset victory over No. 18 UT Martin -- Tech’s first win over a ranked opponent since the Spring 2021 campaign – and claim the Sergeant York Trophy outright for the first time since 2009.

The Nolensville, Tenn., native finished the game with nine total tackles – three solo and six assisted – while collecting 3.5 sacks for 18 yards and 4.0 tackles-for-loss for 21 yards. One of those sacks included a forced fumble, while he also broke up a pass and had three quarterback hurries.

VOLLEYBALL: Middle Tennessee libero Alivia Bronner posted one of the best weeks of her college career as she earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors in addition to this week’s TSWA nod. Bronner recorded 41 digs across the two matches, averaging 5.13 per set.

In the Blue Raiders’ sweep over New Mexico State, Bronner had 17 digs, averaging 5.67 per set. Then, in the second match, she hit a career-high with 24 digs. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native has recorded at least 17 digs in four of her last five matches and completed the regular season with 265 digs and 28 service aces.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Fisk sophomore point guard Doyel Cockrill III continues to get stronger through the start of the campaign as the Nashville native has surpassed his career high for the second time in as many weeks.

Following a 22-point game at Alabama A&M, Cockrill scored 21 in a win at Oakwood as he went 11-for-12 at the free-throw line. He surpassed his career best at Stillman College, collecting 37 points, including six 3-pointers and a 12-for-24 effort in the field.

For the week, he averaged 26.7 points, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 80.0 percent at the line.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Tusculum sophomore Ni’Kiah Chesterfield took home the women’s weekly honor as she averaged 28.5 points and 7.5 rebounds to lead the Pioneers to wins over North Greenville and USC Aiken.

In the 92-75 victory against North Greenville, the Murfreesboro native recorded a game-high 23 points with eight rebounds and four blocked shots. In the 95-78 win over USC Aiken, Chesterfield scored a career-high 34 points as she hit her first 13 straight shots and finished the game 15-for-16 from the field. She also had seven rebounds.

Chesterfield became the first Tusculum player in nearly two years to score 30 points in a game and the 15-for-16 effort is the best in the Division II ranks this season and second all-time in Tusculum history.

2024-25 TSWA College Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
9/3 | Offensive: Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
9/10 | Offensive: Sam Phillips (Chattanooga); Defensive: Elijah Herring (Memphis)
9/17 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
9/24 | Offensive: La’Vell Wright (Austin Peay); Defensive: Major Williams (Carson-Newman)
10/1 | Offensive: Chase Artopoeus (Chattanooga); Defensive: Theron Gaines (Tennessee Tech)
10/8 | Offensive: Jayden Sullins (Carson-Newman); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
10/15 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
10/22 | Offensive: Mario Anderson Jr. (Memphis); Defensive: Will Brooks (Tennessee)
10/29 | Offensive: Dawson White (Sewanee); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)
11/5 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Cayman Spaulding (Tennessee Tech)
11/12 | Offensive: Bryson Rollins (Maryville); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)
11/19 | Offensive: Seth Henigan (Memphis); Defensive: Daniel Rickert (Tennessee Tech)

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb)
11/19 | Doyel Cockrill III (Fisk)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jennifer Sullivan (Carson-Newman)
11/19 | Ni’Kiah Chesterfield (Tusculum)

College players of the week honored - Nov. 12

November 14, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maryville junior quarterback Bryson Rollins helped lead the Scots to the USA South championship on Saturday as he earned this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor.

The Elizabethton, Tenn., native completed 15 of his 24 passes for 314 yards and three touchdown passes as he led the team to a 47-7 victory at Greensboro. He was effective in the third quarter as he went 7-of-10 for 220 yards and all three scores, going for 8, 82 and 40 yards all within a 9:28 span.

On the defensive side, Memphis redshirt junior linebacker Chandler Martin picked up his second Defensive Player of the Week of the season as he collected 11 total tackles – nine solo – in the 27-20 win over Rice. The Lithonia, Ga., native also had a pass breakup, a QB hurry and his fourth fumble recovery of the season in the contest.

VOLLEYBALL: In addition to being named the AVCA/GameChanger Division I National Player of the Week and Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Tennessee Tech senior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen was named the TSWA’s Volleyball Player of the Week after averaging 6.71 kills per set on a .435 attack percentage with just seven errors on 92 attempts.

On Friday, the Edwardsville, Ill., native took on her hometown team – SIUE – and collected 19 kills and three blocks with a .432 percentage. On Saturday, Isringhausen, the daughter of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jason Isringhausen, compiled a career-high 28 kills – tying for the second-most in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era in Tech history – while hitting .436 with two service aces and a season-high five blocks.

MEN’S SOCCER: Tusculum senior forward David Evans earned the final TSWA Men’s Soccer Player of the Week award of the academic year after posting his first career two-goal game on Senior Night as the Pioneers topped Carson-Newman 3-1.

The Johnson City, Tenn., product scored in the 62nd minute, then added his second in the 71st for insurance. He was also named Tusculum’s Homecoming King at halftime of the Pioneers’ football game against Carson-Newman.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Lipscomb junior forward Jacob Ognacevic earned the first Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor as he averaged 22.0 points and 7.3 rebounds as the Bisons went 2-1 on the week with wins over Duquesne and Wofford, as well as a strong showing at Arkansas.

At Duquesne, the Sheboygan, Wisc., product collected his first career double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds, while also leading the Bisons in scoring against both Wofford and Arkansas with 22 and 23 points respectively.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Carson-Newman junior guard Jennifer Sullivan won the first Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award as she averaged 21.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in a pair of victories. The Knoxville native shot 50 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the line during a 90-64 win at Lander and a 103-68 win over USC Aiken.

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jennifer Sullivan (Carson-Newman)

TSWA recognizes college players of the week - Nov. 5

November 6, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee junior running back Dylan Sampson continued his strong season this past Saturday with the 28-18 win over Kentucky and claiming his third Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor on Tuesday.

The Baton Rouge, La., native shattered a 95-year-old single-season rushing touchdown record for his 19th of the season as he collected a career-high 142 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns against the Wildcats. The 19 rushing scores placed Sampson in a six-way tie for tenth in the Southeastern Conference’s single-season leaderboard.

The game was his SEC-best seventh 100-yard game of the year and he became the first Volunteer to score a rushing touchdown in eight straight games in the same season. Sampson is now tied for second in Tennessee’s single-season 100-yard rushing games.

On the defensive side, Tennessee Tech sophomore linebacker Cayman Spaulding was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week after he recorded six total tackles – four solo and two assisted – with 2.5 for-loss and a four-yard sack. The big blow came as he intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown in the Golden Eagles’ 52-10 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference win over Lindenwood.

Spaulding anchored a Tech defense that held the Lions to 68 rushing yards on 36 carries a week after they rushed for 389 against Western Illinois. It was Tech’s fourth game this season holding opponents under 100 rushing yards.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech junior setter Jordan Karlen was named the Volleyball Player of the Week as she delivered another spectacular weekend directing the Golden Eagle offense in a split at Ohio Valley Conference leader Southeast Missouri, handing the Redhawks one of their two league losses.

In all, Karlen averaged 11.1 assists, 3.1 digs, 0.67 aces and 0.67 blocks per set as she recorded 100 assists, 28 digs, six aces and six blocks in all. On Friday, the Janesville, Wisc., native posted 50 assists with four kills, three aces, seven digs and three blocks. She followed it up with 50 assists on Saturday with three aces, three blocks and 21 digs.

MEN’S SOCCER: Trevecca freshman forward Chris Douglas recorded a four-point week as the St. Johns, Antigua native scored a goal and picked up two assists as the Trojans topped Union 4-2. The victory locked up Trevecca’s first appearance in the Gulf South Conference tournament and first postseason appearance for the program since 2017.

Douglas is Trevecca’s leading goal scorer and points leader as a freshman.