FOREST, Va. --- The 2017-18 season opens with ODAC student-athletes showing everyone why they are some of the finest NCAA Division III has to offer. Those earning weekly honors include (picutred, l-r, t-b): Taylor Hayes from Shenandoah field hockey, Karsten Miller from Guilford football, Mesa Willis from Lynchburg volleyball, Bernie Hayes III from SU football, Emily Latimer from Virginia Wesleyan women's cross country, Viktor Dolberg from Washington and Lee men's soccer, Caitlin Mertens from LC women's soccer, Zachary Evens from GC men's golf, Christina Herbert from Bridgewater women's golf, and Lewis Brooks from Hampden-Sydney men's cross country.

Below are entries for all 10 winners from the past week of competition.  Click on the associated links to see that sport's weekly honor roll.

For more on ODAC athletics, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

ODAC Players of the Week

Thru Week Prior to: September 5, 2017

FOOTBALL - OFFENSIVE Karsten Miller, Guilford, Sr., Quarterback Miller, a senior from Thomasville, N.C., helped the Quakers snap a six-game skid dating back to last season with a 38-24 win on the road at Huntingdon College. The win also marked GC's first football victory in the state of Alabama. Miller completed passes to eight different receivers on the way to going 16-of-36 thru the air for 353 yards and four touchdown passes with no interceptions. He also carried the ball eight times for 23 yards, using two scrambles to sustain drives on third-down plays. Two of Miller's touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, including a 97-yard scoring play with first-year receiver Montek Johnson. Miller eluded the rush in the end zone and throwing against his body, found Johnson 47-yards downfield to lead to the longest play from scrimmage in the young ODAC season. Saturday's effort helped Miller move into a share for eighth place on Guilford's career passing list. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL - DEFENSIVE Bernie Hayes III, Shenandoah, So., Linebacker Hayes III, a sophomore from Fort Washington, Md., helped the Hornets opened the new season with a resounding 40-14 triumph over Gallaudet University. Hayes tied for team-high honors with eight total tackles. He was in the Bison backfield all day, registering 4.0 tackles for a loss to tie for the most in the ODAC in week one. Those plays cost the Bison 19 yards of offense. Hayes also broke up two passes before getting in on the scoring. Late in the first quarter, Hayes gave Shenandoah a lead it would not relinquish as he picked up a fumble off a bad GU toss and sprinted 36 yards untouched for a touchdown. The score put SU ahead 13-6 with 2:32 to go in the opening frame. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC FOOTBALL

FIELD HOCKEY Taylor Hayes, Shenandoah, So., Midfielder Hayes, a sophomore from Fredericksburg, Va., helped the Hornets open the new season with a pair of non-conference victories over the weekend. She began her campain with two goals and an assist in a 10-0 victory at Hood College. Hayes then shut the door on a 2-0 home-opening victory over Washington & Jefferson College, tallying the in the 54th minute with a converted penatly stroke to seal the win. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC FIELD HOCKEY

MEN'S GOLF Zachary Evens, Guilford, So. Evens, a sophomore from Mercer Island, Wash., helped the Quakers open the season with a team championship at the Transylvania Invitational. Evens paced Guilford with a 4-under par 140 to finish fourth overall in the 82-man field at the University Club of Kentucky. He opened with a career-low round of 67, following that up with a 73 in round. Guilford posted a 570 (282-288) team score over two rounds on the par-72 track set at 7,013 yards. That total is the sixth lowest in school history and the squad's best mark since 2010. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC GOLF

WOMEN'S GOLF Christina Herbert, Bridgewater, Sr. Herbert, a senior from Williamsburg, Va., opened her NCAA Division III national title defense with a strong showing at the Lynn Schweizer Invitational, hosted by Wittenberg University. She finished as the individual runner-up, one stroke off the lead after two rounds on the par-71 layout set at 5,824 yards. Herbert and eventual winner, Jane Hopkinson-Wood from Wittenberg, matched each other with opening round 75's. The difference came in the final round, where Herbert posted a 74 against Hopkinson-Wood's 73. Herbert's efforts helped Bridgewater to sixth in the team standings at 684 (343-341). Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC GOLF

MEN'S SOCCER Viktor Dolberg, Washington and Lee, Jr., Midfielder Dolberg, a junior from Clovis, Calif., helped nationally 24th-ranked Washington and Lee open the season with a 2-0 showing at the CNU Soccer Classic. Dolberg registered the first point on his sheet in game one, assisting on the opening goal in a 2-1 victory over Greensboro College. Then, in a battle of nationally ranked foes against the 21st-slotted Captains, Dolberg punched in the game-winner in the 54th minute as he broke a 1-1 tie with a bit of individual skill to weave thru a few defenders before delivering the scoring strike. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S SOCCER

WOMEN'S SOCCER Caitlin Mertens, Lynchburg, Jr., Forward Mertens, a junior from Succasunna, N.J., started her season off on fire with four goals in a pair of wins for Lynchburg at Roanoke College Kick-Off. Mertens opened her account in game one with both goals in a 2-0 victory over SUNY-Brockport. She then had a direct effect on the outcome in a 3-1 win over St. John Fisher College, scoring the second and third goals of the contest. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S SOCCER

VOLLEYBALL Mesa Willis, Lynchburg, Sr., Outside Hitter Willis, a senior from Dabneys, Va., opened her 2017 campaign with a strong showing on both sides of the ball to secure All-Tournament Teams honors at the EMU Invitational. Willis went for 60 kills, 50 digs and five blocks with a .233 hitting percentage over 163 attacks in the Hornets 2-2 showing. She had a pair of 19-kill outings, adding in 21 digs and two blocks with a pair of assists against Catholic University and a 18 digs with a block against Salem College. She added 15 kills and 10 digs with two blocks against Methodist, and added seven kills against Mary Baldwin. Willis finished the weekend accounting for 62.5 points and 3.9 points per set for Lynchburg. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC VOLLEYBALL

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Lewis Brooks, Hampden-Sydney, Jr. Brooks, a junior from Jefferson, Ga., opened the 2017 season in victorious fashion at the ODAC Preview Meet hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University at the future site of the 2017 ODAC championships. Brooks topped the field with an eight-kilometer time of 27:03.48. He won the event by 31.7-seconds over second place, registering the fifth-fastest time on record at Hampden-Sydney. His efforts helped the Tigers to second in the team standings. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC CROSS COUNTRY

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Emily Latimer, Virginia Wesleyan, Sr. Latimer, a senior from Chesapeake, Va., started off her season in winning fashion at the ODAC Preview Meet hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University at the site of the 2017 ODAC Championships. Latimer won the event with a six-kilometer time of 23:57.81, nearly four minutes faster than the second place competitor. Her efforts helped the Marlins to first in the team standings. Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC CROSS COUNTRY