ODAC Athletes of the Week | Field Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball

ODAC Athletes of the Week | Field Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball

FOREST, Va. --- We are down to the stretch run for ODAC fall sports following action in week seven. Men's soccer teams have just three conference games remaining before the close of the regular season next week, with field hockey, women's soccer, and volleyball not far behind in progressing their schedules. Those earning ODAC Athlete of the Week awards for Monday, October 18, include (pictured from top and left): Sydney Koch from Randolph-Macon volleyball, Ben Tate from Roanoke men's swimming, Mairead McKibbin from Shenandoah field hockey, Michael Kutsanzira from Washington and Lee men's soccer, Olivia Owens from R-MC women's soccer, and Susanna Price from Roanoke women's swimming.

Below are entries for all six winners from today's multi-sport release. Most weeks this fall and winter, the following schedule will be used for awards reporting:

  • Sundays: football
  • Mondays: field hockey, soccer, swimming, volleyball (basketball when it begins)
  • Tuesdays: cross country (indoor track & field when it begins)
  • Wednesdays: golf

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.

FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mairead McKibbin | Shenandoah | Fy. | Midfielder
McKibbin, a first-year from Magnolia, Del., posted an 11-point week as Shenandoah earned two ODAC wins to improve to 5-0 in league play and sit unbeaten tied atop the standings with nationally 14th-ranked Washington and Lee. The Hornets, who received votes towards last week's NFHCA coaches poll, continue to extend their program-record winning streak, which now stands at 12 straight games. McKibbin played a part in seven of the 11 goals SU scored last week in road wins at Roanoke and Bridgewater. Against the Maroons, she scored the opener just 36-seconds into the match and assisted Cassidy Morrison on the game's second goal in a 3-1 victory. On the week at Bridgewater, McKibbin scored three times (included a pair of unassisted efforts) and handed out two assists in an 8-0 triumph over the Eagles. For the season, McKibbin ranks second in the ODAC in points (36) and assists (12) and fourth in goals scored (12). She leads the league with five game-deciding goals.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Michael Kutsanzira | Washington and Lee | Jr. | Midfielder
Kutsanzira, a junior from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, helped nationally top-ranked Washington and Lee to its 11th straight victory with a five-point game. The Generals now sit 6-0-0 in the conference table with a league-best 18 points. Their 8-0 victory over Guilford extended their winning straight to 11 consecutive games, one short of the program record.* They are unbeaten in 12 outings this season. Kutsanzira score twice and dished out an assist against the Quakers. He provided the needed service on W&L's third goal by Adrian Zimmerman in the 28th minute. That assist gave him an ODAC-best eight on the season, tying for the fifth-most in program history. Kutsanzira scored both of his goals via unassisted efforts in the 82nd and 90th minutes. He currently sits eighth in the league with 16 points, pairing his eight assists with four goals scored.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MEN'S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Ben Tate | Roanoke | Sr. | Freestyle/Butterfly
Tate, a senior from Boones Mill, Va., helped Roanoke earn a 111-77 victory over Lees-McRae in a dual meet last week. Tate won two individual events and swam a leg on a winning relay, posting ODAC top times in the process. Individually, he won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:46.26 and added a win in the 200-yard butterfly in 1:58.00. He and teammates Erik Kratzer, Logan Deal, and Xavier Williams stopped the watches first in the 400-yard medley relay in 3:29.58. Both of Tate's individual times rank inside top-35 nationally, while the 400-medley relay time sits third in Division III.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
WOMEN'S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Susanna Price | Roanoke | Fy. | Freestyle/Butterfly
Price, a first-year from Los Alamos, N.M., put together a strong showing in her first collegiate dual meet outing against Lees-McRae (L, 109-96). Price posted a pair of ODAC top individual times and a second place showing in a relay that ranks second in the conference. She won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:59.44 and posted a time of 2:13.90 to capture first place in the 200-yard butterfly. Price and teammates Lillian Mullens, Hannah Zhang, and Elizabeth Roberts posted a second place time of 3:42.45. Price's 200-fly time sits 18th in the country, while her 200-free mark sits 31st. Roanoke's 400-free relay time ranks seventh.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Olivia Owens | Randolph-Macon | So. | Forward
Owens, a sophomore from Salisbury, Md., earns her second weekly award of the season after contributing to a pair of ODAC wins with five points, helping Randolph-Macon improve to 7-6-0 overall and 4-2-0 in league play. The two wins snapped a small two-game skid for the Yellow Jackets. In a 5-1 victory over Randolph College, Owens assisted Lora Bertram on the game-tying goal in the 15th minute and then put Randolph-Macon ahead for good a little over a minute later with a goal in the 16th minute. She was back on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory at Eastern Mennonite. Her goal in the 62nd minute opened the game's scoring and prove enough to capture the Yellow Jackets second straight conference win. For the season, Owens is sixth in the ODAC with 15 points and six goals scored. She has also handed out three assists.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sydney Koch | Randolph-Macon | Sr. | Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker
Koch, a senior from Raleigh, N.C., picks up her second weekly award of the season after leading Randolph-Macon to a trio of ODAC victories. The Yellow Jackets have now won 10 straight matches and remain unbeaten in ODAC play at 9-0, tied with Washington and Lee atop the league table.* Koch was both prolific and efficient offensively and provided her usual stout net defense in 11 sets of action. She collected 42 kills (3.82/set) at a blistering .552 attack percentage to go with nine blocks on the way to earning 46.5 points (4.2/set) over the three matches. Koch opened with 12 kills against just one error in a 3-0 victory over Eastern Mennonite. She hit .579 for the match and chipped in three blocks and three digs. She was even more efficient in a 3-0 victory at Ferrum. She hammered 17 winners with two errors at a .652 clip. She added four blocks to bring her total to 19 points earned at 6.3 per set. Koch capped her week with 13 winners and a .440 attack percentage in a 3-2 win at Roanoke. She blocked a pair of Maroons' attacks and handed out an assist. For the season, Koch leads the ODAC with a .380 attack percentage with 181 kills (9th) against just 36 errors in 382 attacks. She is eighth in kills per set (2.78) and points earned (210.0). She is ninth in assisted blocks (38) and 10th in points per set (3.2). *Randolph-Macon and Washington and Lee square off on Wednesday, 10/20, in Lexington.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK