Monday, March 1, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – After a pair of solid weeks on the pitch against Division I teams, including a win for the women at Idaho State, Northwest Nazarene swept the first GNAC Soccer Player of the Week awards for the 2020-21 season.

Senior defender Jade Zimmer was named the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after she scored the game-winning goal in the 69th minute in the Nighthawks’ 1-0 win at Idaho State on Friday. Junior goalkeeper Alexis Montoya was named the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week after she made three saves in the shutout.

For the men, senior forward Jake Levine was named the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after contributing a goal and an assist in Saturday’s 4-2 home win over Eastern Oregon on Friday. Junior defender Lorenzo Valentini earned the Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week award after anchoring the backline against Eastern Oregon and in a close 1-0 loss at Division I Gonzaga on Wednesday. He also scored the game-winning goal against Eastern Oregon.

The Nighthawks also netted the first Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week award. Junior outside hitter Brooke Foster was honored after she finished with 19 kills, 19 digs and a .381 hitting percentage in two wins over Colorado Christian on Friday. Her line included a double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs in the second match of the day.

Seattle Pacific freshman middle blocker Hannah Hair earned Volleyball Defensive Player of Week honors after finishing with 18 blocks and a .281 hitting percentage in Saturday’s sweeps at Northwest (Wash.). Hair had nine blocks in each match and added a 10-kill performance in the second match of the day.

Falcons’ senior guard Sharif Khan was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week following the SPU sweep of No. 13/15 Northwest Nazarene over the weekend. Khan scored 12 points, all on three-pointers, on 4 of 8 from the field and had five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in Friday’s 89-79 victory. He added 18 points on 5 of 9 from the field and 4 of 7 from long-range in Saturday’s 83-68 win.

Western Washington junior guard Mollie Olson picked up the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award after leading the Vikings to a pair of season-opening wins over Saint Martin’s. Olson finished with a career-high 17 points with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals in Friday’s 58-54 win. She returned home on Saturday to finish with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals in an 83-74 victory.

The Vikings also had the Softball Pitcher of the Week in junior Anna Kasner, who picked up two wins with a 1.21 earned run average in WWU’s opening weekend. Kasner was the winner in Friday’s 7-3 victory over Puget Sound, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks and matched her career-high of 15 strikeouts. In the process, Kasner surpassed the 400 career strikeout plateau. Kasner was also the winner in Saturday’s 8-0 second-game shutout of Pacific Lutheran, allowing two runs and two hits while striking out six.

Northwest Nazarene senior catcher Brittany Genuardi was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .700 in a four-game home series with Eastern Oregon, going 7 for 10 with five runs, eight RBI, three doubles and a home run. She went 4 for 4 with two doubles and four RBI in Friday’s 9-1 game two victory. She added a 2 for 3 performance with a three-run homer in Saturday’s 11-3 win in the opener.

Montana State Billings junior infielder Will Riley earned the first Baseball Player of the Week award of the season after he batted .500 in four games against New Mexico Highlands and Colorado Mesa. He went 9 for 18 with five runs, seven RBI, two doubles, a triple and two home runs, capped by a 4 for 4 performance with two runs, three RBI, a double and a home run against Colorado Mesa in game one of Friday’s twinbill.

Northwest Nazarene freshman Kyle Ethridge was selected as the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he allowed one run on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 6.2 innings as NNU knocked off No. 2/5 ranked Colorado Mesa, 18-6. He threw 88 pitches in the game, 59 for strikes.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 8
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Sharif Khan (Seattle Pacific, G, 6-1, Sr., Bellevue, Wash. – Bellevue): Khan led Seattle Pacific to a pair of big wins over No. 13/15 Northwest Nazarene, averaging 15 points per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from three-point range. Khan opened the weekend with 12 points, all on three-pointers, in Friday’s 89-79 victory. He made 4 of 6 from three-point range to go with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Khan added an 18-point performance in Saturday’s 83-68 win, going 5 of 9 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range. He also had three rebounds and a steal. Also Nominated: Marqus Gilson (Central Washington), Ezekiel Alley (Northwest Nazarene), Alex Schumacher (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Mollie Olson (Western Washington, G, 5-10, Jr., Napavine, Wash. - Napavine): Olson averaged 15.5 points and five rebounds per game to lead Western Washington to two wins over Saint Martin’s in its return to the court. She opened the season with a career-high 17 points and five rebounds in Friday’s 58-54 victory, shooting 6 of 11 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range to go along with two assists, two blocks and two steals. On Saturday, Olson finished with 14 points and five rebounds in the 83-74 win, adding five assists, three blocks and two steals. Also Nominated: Shayla Montague (Montana State Billings), Erin Jenkins (Northwest Nazarene), Claire Dingus (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Will Riley (Montana State Billings, IF, 6-1, Jr., Lismore, Australia – Miles CC): Riley batted .500 in the Yellowjackets’ four-game season-opening road trip to face Colorado Mesa and New Mexico Highlands, going 9 for 18 with five runs, seven RBI, two doubles, a triple and two home runs. Riley opened the season with a 2 for 5 performance on Thursday against New Mexico Highlands with a double and a solo home run. He opened Friday’s doubleheader against Colorado Mesa by going 4 for 5 with two runs, three RBI, a double and a home run. He completed the trip with a 2 for 4 performance against New Mexico Highlands on Saturday. Also Nominated: Tyler McClain (Central Washington), John Gonzalez (Northwest Nazarene), Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Kyle Ethridge (Northwest Nazarene, LHP, 6-0, Fr., Alta Loma, Calif. – Los Osos): Ethridge earned the win in the Nighthawks’ 18-6 win over No. 2/5 Colorado Mesa on Thursday. In 6.2 innings, Ethridge allowed one run on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Of his 88 pitches, 59 were for strikes. Also Nominated: Brayde Hirai (Central Washington), Justice Yamashita (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Brittany Genuardi (Northwest Nazarene, C, 5-6, Sr., Spanaway, Wash. – Bethel): Genuardi led the Nighthawks to a three-win week over Eastern Oregon, batting .700 with five runs, eight RBI, three doubles and a home run while also drawing five walks. Genuardi went 4 for 4 with two doubles and four RBI in Friday’s 9-1 game two victory. She then went 2 for 3 with a three-run homer in Saturday’s 11-3 game one victory before ending the series with a two-run double in a four-run seventh inning that kept NNU in it in the eventual 7-6 loss. Also Nominated: Theresa Moyle (Central Washington), Destiny Conerly (Saint Martin’s), Lauren Lo (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Anna Kasner (Western Washington, P, 5-8, Sr., Milton, Wash. - Fife): Kasner picked up two wins for the Vikings in their opening weekend, compiling a 1.62 earned run average with 21 strikeouts. In Friday’s 7-3 win over Puget Sound, Kasner allowed three runs on five hits and matched a career-high with 15 strikeouts and surpassed the 400 career strikeout mark. In Saturday’s 8-0, six-inning win over Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, Kasner threw a two-hit shutout, allowing two walks while striking out six. Kasner also helped her own cause at the plate, going 6 for 8 with two runs and two RBI in the two games. Also Nominated: Rhaney Harris (Central Washington), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Tia Ridings (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Jake Levine (Northwest Nazarene, F, 5-10, Sr., Spokane, Wash. – Central Valley): Levine finished with a goal and an assist in two matches as NNU split two matches last week. His goal was the go-ahead strike in the 41st minute of Friday’s 4-2 win over Eastern Oregon. He also assisted on Lorenzo Valentini’s game-winning goal in the 58th minute. Also Nominated: Edgar Ramirez (Montana State Billings).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Lorenzo Valentini (Northwest Nazarene, D, 6-5, Jr., Saarbrucken, Germany – Saarland University): Valentini anchored a solid Northwest Nazarene defense in two matches last week. On Wednesday, the NNU defense limited Gonzaga to a late goal and six shots on goal in a close 1-0 loss. In Saturday’s 4-2 home win over Eastern Oregon, Valentini and the defense limited EOU to three shots on goal. He also contributed the game-winning goal in the 58th minute. Also Nominated: Bryan Maxwell (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Jade Zimmer (Northwest Nazarene, D, 5-7, Sr., Denver, Colo. – George Washington): Zimmer scored the match’s only goal in the 69th minute, which gave Northwest Nazarene the big 1-0 win at Division I Idaho State on Friday. Zimmer finished with two shots on the day as the Nighthawks outshot the Bengals 22-4. Also Nominated: Jordan Roe (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Alexis Montoya (Northwest Nazarene, GK, 5-6, Jr., West Jordan, Utah – Northern State Univ.): Montoya registered her first shutout of the season, making three saves to help lead Northwest Nazarene to the 1-0 win at Division I Idaho State on Friday. Also Nominated: Vendela Anderson (Montana State Billings).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Brooke Foster (Northwest Nazarene, OH, 6-1, Jr., Boise, Idaho – Univ. of Montana): Foster led the Nighthawks to a pair of wins over Colorado Christian on Friday with 19 kills, 19 digs and a .381 hitting percentage. In the three-set first match victory, Foster finished with seven kills, two aces and 18 digs. In the nightcap, Foster finished with 12 kills against no errors, hitting .522 in the four-set victory. She also finished with an ace and 11 digs. Also Nominated: Maddie Pruden (Seattle Pacific).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Hannah Hair (Seattle Pacific, MB, 6-1, Fr., Walla Walla, Wash. – Walla Walla): Hair finished with 18 total blocks to help lead the Falcons to a pair of three-set sweeps of Northwest (Wash.) on Saturday. In the opener, Hair finished with nine block assists while also compiling six kills and a .231 hitting percentage. Hair added one solo block and eight block assists in the nightcap while also adding 10 kills and a .316 hitting percentage. Also Nominated: Caroline McMahon (Northwest Nazarene).