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

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

FOREST, Va. --- Weather played a part in the number of contests competed over the past week, but that did not stop ODAC student-athletes from treating fans to some strong performances in week five of the season. Those earning weekly honors for Monday, October 3, include (pictured, from left and top): Grace Parker from Randolph-Macon volleyball, Luke Mega from Lynchburg men's soccer, Kelsey Jones from Shenandoah field hockey, and Sydney Dombrovskis from Lynchburg women's soccer.

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

  • Sundays: football (thru 11/13/22)
  • Mondays: field hockey, soccer, swimming (begins 10/10/22), volleyball, wrestling (when it begins)
  • Tuesdays: cross country
  • Wednesday: 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
Kelsey Jones | Shenandoah | Sr. | Midfielder
Jones, a senior from Fredericksburg, Va., put together a four goal week in helping Shenandoah to a pair of victories including a 10-0 triumph in the Hornets ODAC opener at Virginia Wesleyan. Shenandoah, which received votes towards the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll last week, is now 10-0 atop the ODAC table. Jones got her week started with two tallies in a 4-1 victory over St. Mary's College (Md.). Shenandoah led 2-1 after one period, but the scoreboard sat dormant until Jones rattled the cage twice in the fourth frame. She scored off a penalty corner entry by Madison Short with a long-range blast from the top of the circle just 52-seconds into the quarter. Jones did it again less than five minutes later, but this time had to elude two defenders after receiving the corner feed before sending a long shot past the stick-arm of the Seahawks' keeper. At Virginia Wesleyan, Jones scored Shenandoah's second and fifth goals. She tallied the first goals 2:06 into the contest with a mid-circle shot that squeezed past the Marlins' keeper at the right post. Jones made good on another penalty corner three minutes into the second quarter. This time, she received the entry at the near side and sent a long high-flick over the keeper's head and into the far side of the cage. For the season, Jones is second in the ODAC in points (26) and goals (10) and is tied for third in assists (6).

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Luke Mega | Lynchburg | Sr. | Forward
Mega, a senior from Glen Allen, Va., registered a six-point week and factored in four of Lynchburg's five goals in a 2-0 week against ODAC competition. The nationally 25th-ranked Hornets have now won three straight games -- all against league opponents -- and remain unbeaten at 6-0-4. Mega scored the game tying goal and dished out an assist on Lynchburg's third tally in a 3-1 victory at Shenandoah during the midweek. He converted a penalty kick to tie the game 1-all in the 24th minute, and then put a perfectly placed corner kick onto Carter Averette's head at the back-post in the 85th frame. In a 2-1 victory at Virginia Wesleyan, Mega assisted Liam Lovell on the game-tying goal in the 68th minute and then scored the game-winner in the 84th minute. With VWU leading, 1-0, since the 18:31 mark, the scoring drought ended with Mega's low cross from the right wing to the middle of box. Lovell, from the penalty spot, continued the ball's progression and tucked a ground shot inside the far post. Mega's winning goal came off a right wing throw-in. After a flicked-on ball made it through traffic and traveled back towards the top of the box at the far post, Mega retreated to collect it and, with his back towards the goal, whipped a right-footed effort back at the front post through traffic and beyond the keeper. For the season, Mega leads the ODAC in points (21) and goals scored (9).

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC MEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sydney Dombrovskis | Lynchburg | So. | Forward
Dombrovskis, a sophomore from Ruckersville, Va., helped Lynchburg post its second ODAC victory in as many outings with a five-point outing in the Hornets lone action of the week. Dombrovskis scored twice and dished out an assist in Lynchburg's 7-0 victory over Averett University, which improved the Hornets overall record to 4-1-4. She opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a drive inside the front-post and the keeper from a sharp angle. Dombrovskis then provided the service 10 minutes later on Lynchburg's second goal as she drove deep towards the end line before playing a ball back to the penalty spot and in the path of an oncoming Victoria Newman, who slotted it over the keepers head. Dombrovskis made it 4-0 Hornets in the 51st minute with a strike from 25 yards out. For the season, Dombrovskis has registered seven points on three goals and one assist.

Click to learn more about the past week in ODAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Grace Parker | Randolph-Macon | Sr. | Outside Hitter
Parker, a senior from Andover, N.J., was both prolific and efficient in three ODAC victories for Randolph-Macon last week, earning her a second conference weekly honor of the season. Parker's eye-opening numbers included two 30-plus kill matches, 88 total winners at 7.33 per set, a .379 attack percentage, and 93.0 total points earned at 7.8 per frame. Those numbers helped R-MC win on the road at Lynchburg, 3-1, and post back-to-back home wins over Ferrum, 3-0, and Roanoke, 3-2. Parker had 31 kills at Lynchburg, the most of any player in Division III in four-set matches this season. She notched those kills at a .355 attack percentage, adding nine digs, two blocks, and an ace to her line. Her 33.0 points earned are a season-high for ODAC players, as is her 8.3 points per set against the Hornets. Parker smashed 23 kills at a .487 clip in the Yellow Jackets win over Ferrum. She chipped in four digs and a block. Parker then matched R-MC's program record with 34 kills in R-MC's win over Roanoke. Those 34 winners are the most in Division III of any match length this year. They also tie for fourth-most in a match in conference history and are the most kills won by a league player since former R-MC two-time ODAC Player of the Year Courtney Lowers registered 34 kills in 2014. Parker posted a .338 attack percentage against Roanoke with four digs and two aces. She registered 36.5 points for the match, an ODAC season-high. Parker, who has registered at least 11 kills in each of 15 matches played this season, crossed 1,000 career kills against Lynchburg (1,072 as of 10/2/22). She currently leads the ODAC in kills (273), kills per set (4.96), points earned (306.5), and points per set (5.6). She is fourth in total attacks (607) and fifth in attack percentage (.295).

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