College players of the week honored - Nov. 21

November 21, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Vattiato led the Blue Raiders to a 34-30 win over UTEP this weekend and his numbers earned him this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor.

The Plantation, Fla., native led Middle Tennessee to its second straight win, completing 18 passes for 242 yards with three touchdown passes. He also rushed for 92 yards on 15 carries. It was the ninth 200-plus-yard game for the QB this season.

On the defensive side, Tennessee Tech sophomore linebacker Aaron Swafford was the Defensive Player of the Week honoree as he finished Saturday’s 35-0 win over Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association rival Tennessee State with five tackles and two interception returns for 52 yards. Both interceptions by the Decatur native led to touchdown drives as the Golden Eagles picked up their first shutout since 2013 and fourth since 2000.

VOLLEYBALL: Tusculum graduate outside hitter Emiah Burrowes led the Pioneers to their first conference championship in program history and was named the South Atlantic Conference tournament MVP as Tusculum upset Anderson 3-0 and Wingate 3-1 in the semifinal and championship matches.

Burrowes averaged 4.42 kills, 3.17 digs and 4.79 points per set as she collected 53 total kills, 38 digs and had three blocks, ending the tournament with a .219 attack percentage.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: King freshman forward Mikhail Pocknett had an incredible game as the Wilmington, N.C. product scored 33 points in the Tornado’s 98-94 double-overtime loss to Emory and Henry. Pocknett scored 33 points in the contest, while also pulling down five boards. He shot 12-for-23 from the field and 9-for-16 from the free-throw line.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Fighting a lower-body injury, Fisk senior forward Maya Buckhanon led the team to a 63-56 victory over NCAA Division II Lane College. The Talladega, Ala., native led the way with 30 points and 15 rebounds. She finished the game shooting 12-for-16 from the floor and 6-for-7 at the line.

College players of the week honored - Nov. 14

November 14, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A big week for Austin Peay led to the Governors taking both Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Player of the Week honors this week, based on the games between Nov. 6-Nov. 12.

With a 30-17 win over Utah State, running back Jevon Jackson took the rock 38 times – a career-high – and collected 192 yards in the contest, helping lead APSU to its eighth-straight victory. He had a game-long rush of 30 yards, while also adding to his all-purpose total with a reception for six yards.

The total put Jackson over 1,000 yards on the season with 1,119 and became the 10th 1,000-yard rusher in program history and first since Ryan White in 2011. Jackson has rushed over the century mark in six of the last seven games – with 1,027 of his yards in the last seven games – and has the fourth-best single-season rushing total in program history.

On the defensive side, linebacker Tyler Long had a day, collecting nine tackles with two pass breakups and an interception, securing the victory with the late snag. Under his leadership, Long and the Governor defense held Utah Tech to 67 rushing yards, marking the third-straight game APSU has held their opponent to under 100 yards on the ground.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech sophomore setter Jordan Karlen had a tremendous week as she averaged 12.45 assists and 4.36 digs in three victories, while also collecting six blocks and six kills. On Tuesday against Morehead State, Karlen posted 41 assists and a career-high 22 digs with four kills in four sets. On Friday against Southeast Missouri, she had 53 assists, 16 digs and four blocks. She followed that up in the finale against the Redhawks with 43 assists, two service aces and 10 digs.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Carson-Newman sophomore guard Jack Browder started off the 2023-24 campaign on fire as he averaged 19.5 points and 10.0 rebounds for the week with a 101-77 victory over Lees-McRae and a 74-72 win at King. In the opener, Browder collected 22 points and 12 rebounds for the double-double, then scored 17 points and pulled down eight boards. He also finished the week with two steals and two blocks.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Belmont junior forward Kendal Cheesman made an impression in her first career start as she helped the Bruins take down Georgia 76-50. She scored a career-high 28 points as she was 9-for-15 from 3-point range, including 13 points on four of her first seven 3-point tries in the opening quarter. The nine 3-pointers are the most by a Division I player thus far and was one shy of the program’s single-game record. Earlier in the week against Missouri, she scored five pointe with five rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

2023-24 TSWA College Sports Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
8/29 | Offensive: A.J. Swann (Vanderbilt), Defensive: De’Rickey Wright (Vanderbilt)
9/5 | Offensive: Joe Milton III (Tennessee), Defensive: Jake Cottle (Carson-Newman)
9/12 | Offensive: Sam Franklin (UT Martin), Defensive: Aaron Beasley (Tennessee)
9/19 | Offensive: Kinkead Dent (UT Martin), Defensive: Sam Brumfield (Middle Tennessee)
9/26 | Offensive: Matthew Palazzo (Tusculum), Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
10/3 | Offensive: Mike DiLiello (Austin Peay), Defensive: Quinn Johnson (Sewanee)
10/10 | Offensive: Javin Whatley (Chattanooga), Defensive: Derek Taylor (Cumberland)
10/17 | Offensive: Matthew Palazzo (Tusculum), Defensive: Jaylen Mahoney (Vanderbilt)
10/24 | Offensive: Bryson Rollins (Maryville College), Defensive: Mekhi Brown (Carson-Newman)
10/31 | Offensive: Mike DiLielle (Austin Peay), Co-Defensive: Terrell Allen (Tennessee State), Daniel Rickert (Tennessee Tech)
11/7 | Offensive: Kinkead Dent (UT Martin), Defensive: Jermaine Witherspoon (Tusculum)
11/14 | Offensive: Jevon Jackson (Austin Peay), Defensive: Tyler Long (Austin Peay)

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Jack Browder (Carson-Newman)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Kendal Cheesman (Belmont)

College players of the week named by TSWA - Nov. 7

November 7, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – UT Martin quarterback Kinkead Dent led his Skyhawk squad back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game into overtime, then threw an incredible strike to Zoe Roberts to complete the 44-41 overtime comeback win over Tennessee Tech on Saturday to earn this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor.

Dent finished the game with five touchdown passes as he completed 24 of his 40 tosses for 318 yards. It was the eighth time in UTM history that a quarterback has thrown five or more touchdown passes in a game, joining Derek Carr and Jarod Neal as the only ones to accomplish the feat multiple times in the same season.

Dent’s final throw toward Roberts was batted down by Tech’s Cameron Hudson, but Roberts stretched back out to haul in the pass for the game-winning score. The play was selected as SportsCenter’s No. 1 Play of the Day afterward.

The Yazoo City, Miss., native currently ranks eighth in the Football Championship Subdivision and first in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association with 21 passing touchdowns, while ranking 11th in the FCS with 138 points responsible for.

On the defensive side, Tusculum junior defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon contributed on three of the Pioneers’ four forced turnovers, including the game-tying fumble return for a touchdown. The effort helped Tusculum knock off No. 25 Mars Hill in a 29-27 double-overtime win.

After trailing by two touchdowns, Witherspoon tied the game at 14 as he picked up the loose ball and returned it 23 yards for the score. He later forced another fumble, then collected his 10th career interception. Witherspoon finished the game with seven tackles – one for-loss – and had a QB hurry.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Maryville junior forward Sierra Lee scored two goals on the week, including the game-winning goal in the Scots’ 2-1 overtime victory over Covenant in the Collegiate Conference of the South championship. The goal came in the 97th minute, leading Maryville to both regular-season and tournament titles. Lee also picked up a goal in the semifinal victory over Piedmont.

VOLLEYBALL: King senior outside hitter Hailee Blankenship collected a double-double in both matches this past weekend. She had a career-high 24 kills and 13 digs in a five-set victory over Converse. Against Emmanuel, Blankenship had 21 kills with 17 digs and an assisted block. She has recorded double-doubles in six of her last seven matches.

2023-24 TSWA College Sports Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
8/29 | Offensive: A.J. Swann (Vanderbilt), Defensive: De’Rickey Wright (Vanderbilt)
9/5 | Offensive: Joe Milton III (Tennessee), Defensive: Jake Cottle (Carson-Newman)
9/12 | Offensive: Sam Franklin (UT Martin), Defensive: Aaron Beasley (Tennessee)
9/19 | Offensive: Kinkead Dent (UT Martin), Defensive: Sam Brumfield (Middle Tennessee)
9/26 | Offensive: Matthew Palazzo (Tusculum), Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
10/3 | Offensive: Mike DiLiello (Austin Peay), Defensive: Quinn Johnson (Sewanee)
10/10 | Offensive: Javin Whatley (Chattanooga), Defensive: Derek Taylor (Cumberland)
10/17 | Offensive: Matthew Palazzo (Tusculum), Defensive: Jaylen Mahoney (Vanderbilt)
10/24 | Offensive: Bryson Rollins (Maryville College), Defensive: Mekhi Brown (Carson-Newman)
10/31 | Offensive: Mike DiLielle (Austin Peay), Co-Defensive: Terrell Allen (Tennessee State), Daniel Rickert (Tennessee Tech)
11/7 | Offensive: Kinkead Dent (UT Martin), Defensive: Jermaine Witherspoon (Tusculum)

TSWA annouces college players of the week - Oct. 31

October 31, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay graduate quarterback Mike DiLiello put his name soundly in the Governors’ record book on Saturday as he passed for six touchdowns in a 49-39 victory over North Alabama, earning the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Offensive Player of the Week honor in football for the week of Oct. 23-29.

All six of the passes went to six different receivers as the FedEx Ground FCS National Offensive Player of the Week honoree completed 20 of 25 passes for 353 yards – his fourth 300+-yard game of the season.

DiLiello has 4,373 passing yards in his APSU career, ranking fourth in program history and stands 81 yards behind JaVaughn Craig for third. He is also seven touchdowns behind Brian Baker for the APSU career passing touchdown record. His 2,279 passing yards this season ranks as the fifth-best single-season mark in program history.

CO-DEFENSIVE: Tennessee State senior defensive lineman Terrell Allen continued his tear as he collected a career-high 10 tackles – seven solo – while posting an FCS season-best 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles-for-loss in a 43-20 win over Lindenwood. Allen also forced two fumbles, including one on a sack in the red zone that was later taken in for a score.

It was the third-straight multi-sack game for Allen, while he also set a new Tennessee State single-game record for tackles-for-loss. He leads the FCS in sacks (1.69 per game), tackles for loss (2.6 per game) and forced fumbles (0.62 per game).

He shares the honor with Tennessee Tech defensive lineman Daniel Rickert, who forced two fumbles, recovered two and set up two of the Golden Eagles’ three defensive touchdowns in a 38-13 victory at Robert Morris. In the second quarter, Rickert sacked the RMU quarterback and picked up the loose ball himself, going 20 yards for the touchdown. In the fourth, Rickert sacked the quarterback again as the ball got over to Aaron Swafford, who returned it 52 yards for the second of three defensive scores.

Rickert, an honorable mention for the FedEx Ground FCS National Defensive Player of the Week, had seven total tackles – five solo – with two tackles-for-loss, both sacks. Tech forced six turnovers in the game – the third-most in a single game in program history, while Rickert became the first Golden Eagle to force two fumbles since Aderick Moore at Eastern Illinois in 2019 and recover two fumbles since Trey Thompson against Jacksonville State in 2014.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: King freshman Ella Froehlich had a big week for the Tornado, scoring three goals on the week. She had two scores and an assist in King’s 7-1 victory over Erskine. She also picked up a goal in the team’s loss to Belmont Abbey.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech sophomore setter Jordan Karlen collected 103 assists and 27 digs as the Golden Eagles collected back-to-back 3-1 victories against conference foe Western Illinois. Karlen averaged 12.88 assists and 3.38 digs per set, while also collecting four kills, three service aces and a block. She had a career-high 53 assists in Thursday’s victory, averaging 13.25 per set with 15 digs, then had 50 assists on Friday with 12 digs for her 10th double-double of the season.

College players of the week honored - Oct. 24

October 24, 2023 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maryville College sophomore quarterback Bryson Rollins collected all four touchdowns for the Scots in their 26-6 victory over LaGrange Saturday, earning the football offensive player of the week nod from the Tennessee Sports Writers Association on Tuesday based on the games from October 16-22.

Rollins, an Elizabethton, Tenn., native, rushed for three touchdowns as he carried the ball 13 times for 38 yards, then completed 19-of-32 passes for 237 yards and another score. In the game, Rollins also surpassed the 2,000-yard mark passing and extended his career yardage to 4,595, which already stands as the Scots’ program record.

On the defensive side, Carson-Newman sophomore linebacker Mekhi Brown (Wauchula, Fla.) had a big game defensively in a 21-17 loss to Mars Hill as he recorded three sacks for 21 yards. He had six total tackles with four for-loss for 24 yards.

MEN’S SOCCER: Maryville College senior goalkeeper Mykal Manfred (Gallatin, Tenn.) posted two shutouts in goal as the Scots went 1-0-1 on the week. Across the two matches, Manfred made 17 saves, matching his season-best tally of 11 in a 2-0 victory over Birmingham-Southern, while also preserving a 0-0 draw to Huntingdon, facing 30 tries on the weekend.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: King University senior goalkeeper Kristal Garcia (Orlando, Fla.) made 18 saves over two matches, collecting 10 stops in a thrilling 3-2 victory against North Greenville. She also had eight stops in a 1-0 loss at Lees-McRae.

VOLLEYBALL: King senior outside hitter Hailee Blankenship (Goode, Va.) recorded her ninth and tenth double-doubles of the season as she averaged 5.13 kills and 4.13 digs per set this past weekend. In a 3-0 win over Belmont Abbey, Blankenship recorded 18 kills and 18 digs with three service aces. In a 3-2 loss at Converse, she had 23 kills and 15 digs.