BELTON, Texas- In a week in which no UMHB team lost, there were several high-performers for the Cru. The votes have been cast and it is now time to announce True To The Cru’s Players of the Week, presented by Sacrifice Training.
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On offense, quarterback Kyle King was voted as Player of the Week, having earned 68 percent of the vote. The senior quarterback was 8-of-10 passing for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the 56-0 win at Austin College. He also added 58 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, including 52-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. King leads the ASC in rushing touchdowns (9) and ranks second in passing touchdowns (14).
Defensively, defensive end E’Monte Smith earned the Player of the Week honor, accumulating 50 percent of the vote. Smith was key in UMHB’s first shutout of the season, with 2.5 tackles for loss for a total of seven yards. The senior also tallied a sack, and now ranks No. 1 in the ASC in that category (4.5).
The Special Teams Player of the Week is K.J. Miller, a senior punt returner. Miller returned three punts for 118 yards, with his longest return going for 81 yards. That set up a 1-yard touchdown from Aphonso Thomas three plays later, giving the Cru a 28-0 lead. Those three punts were the first punt returns Miller had tallied this season, though he did have one kick return against Southwestern.
Volleyball Player of the Week: Kayla Janikula
Janikula earned the ASC’s Offensive Player of the Week honor for the third time this season, having hit .559 over three matches last week. The senior hitter averaged 2.4 kills per set, along with 11 digs and four aces. Janikula helped the Cru to a 15-0 record, with 22 kills on the week, including 13 in the 3-0 sweep of Sul Ross State. She leads the ASC with a .393 hitting percentage.
Men’s Soccer Player of the Week: Ethan Buchanan
Buchanan was clutch for the Cru against UT-Dallas on Saturday night, scoring the game-winner off a Nick Villanueva throw 20 seconds into overtime. The sophomore’s goal gave UMHB a 4-3 win, keeping the Crusaders undefeated in conference play. He fired three shots in 71 minutes of action, and also played 64 minutes in the 3-2 win over Ozarks.
Women’s Soccer Player of the Week: Maria Rico
Rico raised her goal total from five to eight over the course of two matches, finding the back of the net twice in the 8-0 victory over Ozarks, before scoring the Cru’s lone goal in a 1-0 win against UT-Dallas. The junior forward added one assist against Ozarks, and fired a total of eight shots on the week. Rico leads the ASC in shots (38) through 10 matches and is second in goals (8).
Men’s Golfer of the Week: Harrison Jaeger
Jaeger, a freshman, won the individual title at the Tempest Intercollegiate early in the week, firing an even 216 over three rounds. He earned the victory by just one stroke, posting a -3 on the back nine of round three on Tuesday. Jaeger opened the tournament with a score of 71 on Monday’s round one, before adding scores of 73 and 72 on rounds two and three.
Women’s Golfer of the Week: Sydney McConnell
McConnell, a sophomore, earned the individual title at the Tempest Intercollegiate, winning by six strokes. It marked her first win of the fall season, as she shot an even 144. The Tyler, Texas native opened the tournament with a score of 70 in the first round, before posting a 74 in round two.
