Around The Big Ten – October 22

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FOOTBALL

Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week

Julian Sayin, Ohio State

QB – Carlsbad, Calif. – Carlsbad

• Led No. 1 Ohio State to a 34-0 victory at Wisconsin with a career-high 393 yards passing and a career-high tying four touchdown passes
• Completed 36 of 42 passes (85.7 pct.) while completing passes to 10 different players with no interceptions
• He found Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate 15 times for 208 yards and two scores in the process while eclipsing his previous high games for completions and attempts
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Julian Sayin (Oct. 6, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week

Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa

DB – Sr. – Pleasant Hill, Iowa – Southeast Polk

·       Recorded 10 tackles (seven solo) with an interception and a forced fumble to help the Hawkeyes defeat Penn State

·       Had an interception in the second quarter and returned it 28 yards to the 1, marking his first pick since the 2023 season and the third of his career

·       With 1:20 on the game clock, Nwankpa came on a delayed blitz, flushing the quarterback from the pocket toward other Hawkeye defenders, forcing an incomplete pass to secure the victory

·       Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Aaron Graves (Oct. 14, 2024)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Mateen Bhaghani, UCLA

K – Jr. – San Diego, Calif. – Del Norte

·       Connected on 2-of-3 field goals to help UCLA to a 20-17 win against Maryland

·       Hit a go-ahead and game-winning field goal from 23 yards out with two seconds remaining in the game, his second game-winning field goal since arriving at UCLA

·       Also hit from 42 yards out earlier in the game

·       Last UCLA Special Teams Players of the Week: Mateen Bhaghani (Sept. 9, 2024)

MEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
Palmer Ault, Indiana
Sr. – F – Noblesville, Ind. – Noblesville

• Tallied five goals, as the Hoosiers collected a pair of wins last week
• Scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in a 2-1 win at No. 25 Kentucky
• Collects his third Offensive Player of the Week award of the season
• Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Palmer Ault (Sept. 23, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Tristen Rose, Maryland
Sr. – D – Cortland, Ohio – Charleston

• Notched a pair of assists to help Maryland score a pair of shutout wins
• Anchored a defense that surrendered just eight shots on goal in wins over No. 13 Rutgers and at Ohio State
• Earns his first Defensive Player of the Week award
• Last Maryland Defensive Player of the Week: Chris Rindov (Nov. 1, 2022)

Goalkeeper of the Week 
Laurin Mack, Maryland
So. – Emmendingen, Germany – SC Freiburg

• Recorded two clean sheet, his sixth and seventh of the season, extending his shutout streak to over 423 minutes
• Totaled eight saves on the week, including five in a win at No. 13 Rutgers
• Garners second consecutive Goalkeeper of the Week award and third of the season
• Last Maryland Goalkeeper of the Week: Laurin Mack (Oct. 14, 2025)

Freshman of the Week 
Judewellin Michel
GK – Montréal, Québec, Canada

• Surrendered just one goal in 180 minutes of action last week
• Claimed his first career win after posting four saves in a 2-1 win at No. 25 Kentucky
• Earns his first Freshman of the Week award
• Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Charlie Heuer (Nov. 5, 2025)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
Alex Buck, Washington
So. – F – Medina, Wash.
• Put the Huskies ahead 43 seconds into the match against Minnesota for an eventual 3-2 win
• Drew and converted on a penalty kick in the 52nd minute to seal a 1-0 victory against No. 15 Wisconsin
• Her lone goal versus the Badgers clinched the regular-season title outright for Washington, its first conference championship in 25 years
• Last Washington Offensive Player of the Week: Jadyn Holdenried (Oct. 7, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week
Grace Shank, UCLA
Fr. – D/MF – McLean, Va.
• Contributed to a defense that allowed just one shot from No. 5 Iowa
• Tallied her first collegiate goal in the 74th minute against the Hawkeyes
• Held Nebraska to five shots with only two on goal for a 3-0 triumph
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Jennie Immethun (Aug. 19, 2025)

Goalkeeper of the Week
Noelle Henning, Michigan State
Fr. – GK – Milton, Ontario
• Stopped eight of nine shots she faced during a 2-0 week for the Spartans
• Denied four shots in a 2-0 shutout of Indiana
• Made four saves against RV Illinois for a 5-1 victory
• Last Michigan State Goalkeeper of the Week: Kaitlyn Parks (Oct. 22, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Bella Winn, UCLA
F – Ridgewood, N.J.
• Played a role in all three goals in UCLA’s 3-0 win over Nebraska, scoring the first two goals and assisting on the third
• Found the back of the net twice within two and a half minutes
• Her five-point performance was the most by a Bruin since the 2023 season
• Last UCLA Freshman of the Week: Payten Cooper (Sept. 2, 2025)

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Week 
London Wijay, USC 
RS-So. – OH – Porter Ranch, Calif.  

• Led USC to a 2-0 week, including a win at No. 9 Wisconsin (3-1) and Iowa (3-1)
• Matched a career-high and had a USC season-high 24 kills with a .308 hitting percentage in the win at Wisconsin
• Reached double-digit kills for the 10^th (10 kills at Iowa) and 11^th (24 at Wisconsin) times this season, and double-digit points for the 12^th and 13^th times
• Averaged 4.25 kills per set, 4.38 points per set and 2.00 digs per set in the two victories
• Last USC Player of the Week: Ally Batenhorst (Nov. 4, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Andi Jackson, Nebraska 
Jr. – MB – Brighton, Colo. 

• Led Nebraska defensively to a pair of 3-0 wins at Michigan State and Michigan last week
• Tallied 10 blocks across the two matches for an average of 1.67 per set, three of which were solo blocks
• Helped limit opponents to a .139 hitting percentage, including a season-low .079 clip for Michigan
• Also recorded three digs and three service aces
• Averaged 2.17 kills per set on a blistering .706 hitting percentage (13-1-17)
• Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Rebekah Allick (Aug. 26, 2025)

Setter of the Week  
Taylor Anderson, Purdue 
Jr. – S – San Antonio, Texas 

• Led Purdue to a 2-0 week with a 3-1 win at No. 22 Indiana and a sweep at Rutgers
• Guided an offense that hit at a .306 clip last week and helped hold opponents to a .191 hitting percentage
• Dished out 10.57 assist per set as Purdue hit over .300 in five of seven sets last week and over .330 in three sets
• Registered a double-double with 34 assists, 10 digs, four kills and a block against Rutgers
• Against Indiana, Anderson tallied 40 assists, nine digs, two blocks and three kills
• Last Purdue Setter of the Week: Taylor Anderson (Sept. 9, 2024)

Freshman of the Week 
Taylor Deckert, USC 
L – Manhattan Beach, Calif.  

• Helped USC go 2-0 on the road at No. 9 Wisconsin (3-1) and Iowa (3-1)
• Averaged 6.63 digs per set and added 1.13 assists per set, setting a new career-high with 28 digs in a four-set win at Iowa. It was the most digs by a USC player since 2022
• Reached double-digit kills again at Wisconsin with 25
• Recorded her first and second-career 20+ dig performances to help limit opponents to a combined .191 hitting percentage
• Last USC Freshman of the Week: Reese Messer (Sept. 22, 2025)