NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending April 7, 2024. A total of 22 student-athletes were recognized for performances from April 1, 2024 to April 7, 2024.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Nathan Lancia (Stevens / Gr., OH / Galloway, Ohio) totaled 10 kills on 16 swings with just three errors (0.436 hitting percentage) in the Ducks' sweep of King's to close out the regular season. The Galloway, Ohio native also had two assists, three aces, eight digs and a block in the victory.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Zane Martin (Misericordia / Sr., MB / Sewell, N.J.) had six blocks in two matches played in a 2-1 week. Had three blocks in a five-set loss at nationally-ranked NYU and had three blocks in a sweep over Eastern in the MAC regular season finale.
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Grant Zick (Stevenson / Jr., M / Maple Grove, Minn.) helped the Mustangs to a 43-goal week in their wins against Franklin and Marshall and Eastern. Against F&M, Zick scored four goals and assisted on three before adding a hat trick and another assist at Eastern. Zick’s 11 points this week also led him to break the 100 career point milestone, and he now sits at 103 just 11 games into his junior campaign. In those 11 games so far this season, Zick leads the Mustangs with 21 assists and 43 points.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Conor Halpin (Stevenson / Sr., FO / Cranford, N.J.) combined for 35 ground balls across the Mustangs’ two wins this week. Against Franklin & Marshall, Halpin tied a program record for single-game ground balls with 18 for the second time this season. In the MAC-opening victory at Eastern, he would add another 17 ground balls as well as a caused turnover. Halpin also scored one goal in each game. His 109 ground balls this season lead the Mustangs and rank second in the conference.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Nate Perry (DeSales / Jr., A / Corning, N.Y.) led DSU to a win in its lone game of the week over Delaware Valley University totaling four goals and four assists for eight points for the Bulldogs. He added two ground balls.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jackson Penn (Stevens / Fy., M / Ridgefield, Conn.) went 9 for 11 in the circle to lead the 13th-ranked Ducks over Misericordia 14-6 to open conference play. The first-year midfielder also picked up six ground balls and scored his first career goal.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Gianna Huet (York / Jr., A / Manchester, Mass.) led the Spartans with eight points in a pair ofvroad wins last week. Huet posted a season-high five points with a team-high four goals in York’svconference-opening win at Albright on Saturday. She capped off the week with a team-highvthree goals in a 13-6 win at Mary Washington on Sunday.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Sarah Christensen (York / Gr., D / East Lyme, Conn.) led the Spartans with five caused turnoversvin a pair of wins last week in which the York defense held both opponents to single digits. Christensen tied her career-high with three caused turnovers to go along with three ground balls in York’s conference-opener against Albright. She capped off the week with two caused turnovers and a career-high five draw controls in a road win at Mary Washington.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Jess Brey (DeSales / Jr., M / Allentown, Pa.) had another dominating week this time leading DSU a 21-4 win over Delaware Valley University in their lone game of the week. She set a new single-game record with nine goals and added two assists for 11 points. Brey also had six draw controls and four ground balls in the win.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Erin Zieber (Lebanon Valley / Gr., M / Harrisburg, Pa.) led the Dutchmen to a big 22-7 conference win at King's in the program's first-ever MAC Freedom game by keeping the ball out of the Monarchs' sticks. The graduate student caused three turnovers on defense and picked up four ground balls but her biggest stat of the afternoon was a program-record 16 draw controls. Her 16 draw controls are the most in the conference this year and ninth in Division III. Zieber also had two points on a goal and an assist against the Monarchs. Earlier in the week she scored twice and had six draw controls, three ground balls, and one caused turnover in a 15-9 defeat to Messiah in non-conference action.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Chris Sasso (Alvernia / So., P / Jackson, N.J.) got the start on the mound on Friday to kickoff the weekend series against Eastern. Sasso went eight innings in the start without giving up a run. He struck out nine batters and allowed just three hits through his eight innings of work. Sasso has now struckout nine batters in each of his last two starts.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Matt Edwards (Alvernia / Jr., 1B / Langhorne, Pa.) went 6-for-12 with six runs scored and six RBIs in a weekend sweep of Eastern. In an 8-0 win over Eastern on Friday, Edwards hit a solo homer and had six putouts in the field without an error. He then went 3-for-4 with another homer, five RBIs, and three runs scored in a 16-6 win over Eastern in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. Edwards then recorded two more hits, including a double, in a 5-2 win to close out the day in game two of the doubleheader on Saturday. Edwards combined for 15 putouts and two assists in the doubleheader on Saturday.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Erik Sibbach (Stevens / So., RHP / Boxford, Mass.) turned in one of the best pitching performances of the season to open the Ducks' three-game series with No. 25 Arcadia. The sophomore right-hander scattered five across nine scoreless innings to post his first career complete game in a 9-0 win for the Ducks. Sibbach struck out three and walked just one to earn his seventh win of the season - one of just five pitchers in Division III to reach that number.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Chip Krese (Stevens / Fy., SS / Alexandria, Va.) went 6 for 13 with six RBI in a 2-2 week for Stevens. He also added a pair of doubles in the Ducks' victory over No. 25 Arcadia that clinched a series victory. He also totaled 20 errorless chances in the field, registering nine putouts and 11 assists, while also helping to turn two double plays.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Danika Barthol (Eastern / Fy., P / Emmaus, Pa.) struck out 13 hitters in a two-hit complete-game win over Alvernia. The rookie right-hander did not allow a hit until after her squad opened up a five-run lead with a four-run sixth inning. The win is the third complete-game shutout of the season for Barthol. She has won her last eight starts and has struck out at least ten hitters in all four of her MAC Commonwealth starts.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Kandice Schlabach (Messiah / Jr., RF / Greenwood, Del.) had a monster week at the plate for the Falcons with a .727 batting average, with three home runs, a double and eight RBIs. In the doubleheader sweep against Susquehanna on Friday, Schlabach went 5-8 at the plate with two home runs (both in game one), four RBIs, and five runs. In the doubleheader sweep against Hood on Saturday, Schlabach went 3-4 with a home run, five RBIs, and one run. Schlabach hit a crucial game tying single in the fifth inning in the 2-1 win over Hood on Saturday, that helped the Falcons walk off the Blazers in the bottom of the seventh. Schlabach also had a perfect fielding percentage in the outfield during the four games.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Rachel Lowry (DeSales / Jr., P / Lansdale, Pa.) posted a 1-0 record last week pitching a complete-game one-hitter in the game one win over FDU-Florham, striking out four. She then pitched the last inning of the game two win, finishing the week allowing just two hits and striking out five over six innings pitched.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Alexys Vernier (DeSales / Sr., DP / Tabernacle, N.J.) went 5-for-6 (.833) with a double, home run, and five RBIs leading DeSales to a 2-0 record last week, a DH sweep of FDU-Florham. She also scored three runs and walked twice for an .875 on-base percentage.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Zach Reed (Lebanon Valley / Gr. / Manheim, Pa.) won the two hurdle events at the Millersville Metrics on Saturday with times that are the fastest in MAC. He topped the field of 20 in the 110 hurdles with a season-best time of 15.02 seconds in the final after running 15.39 seconds in preliminaries. His time is 44th in the nation, fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, 10th in AARTFC, and leads the MAC by a half second. He also won the 400 hurdles for the second consecutive week as he topped the field of 20 in 55.47 seconds. His time is his second-fastest this season and the only time fastest in the MAC this year is his own time from last week.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Nathan Williams (Stevenson / Sr. / Mechanicsville, Md.) set another school record and personal record in the hammer with a top distance of 60.87m, which gave him first place in a field of Division I and III athletes at the Dalton Ebanks Invitational, hosted by George Mason. Williams' throw, which was over 3 meters better than the second-place finisher, is the top performance in the Mid-Atlantic region and second-best in Division III.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Haley Estus (DeSales / Jr. / Newfoundland, Pa.) took home first place in the Steeplechase at the Muhlenberg College Invitational on Saturday afternoon. She posted a time of 11:51.96, which is the fastest time in the MAC this season by more than 22 seconds.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Brandy Varner (King’s / So. / Plymouth, Pa.) finished the Misericordia Twilight Invitational with one program record, two first-place finishes, and a sixth-place finish. She won the discus with a new program-record mark of 40.16 meters, topping her previous throw of 40.09 meters, and then won the shot put with a throw of 11.63 meters, with both of those marks standing as the top marks in the MAC this outdoor season. Additionally, she placed sixth in the hammer throw with a toss of 34.50 meters.