St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 13, 2015 – Six student-athletes from Washington University in St. Louis were selected as the University Athletic Association (UAA) Athletes of the Week for their respective sports, as announced by the UAA.
Freshman Jake Coon, Barrington, Ill. (Barrington) of the football team, senior Olivia Lillegraven, Coronado, Calif. (Coronado) and junior Megan Nicklay, Lakeville, Minn. (Academy of Holy Angels) of the No. 7-ranked women’s soccer team, and seniors Nkiru Udenze, Plano, Texas (Plano East Senior) andAllison Zastrow, Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X) of the No. 1 volleyball team each received the honor.
In addition, junior punt returner Hank Childs was selected as both the UAA and Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week.
Coon, who earned UAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in his career, had three solo tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and an interception in the Bears’ 37-7 win over Rhodes College Saturday. Coon and the Bears’ defense forced six turnovers and limited Rhodes to a season-low 181 yards of total offense in the win.
Lillegraven was named the UAA Women’s Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week honors for the third time this season and fourth in her career. She scored four goals as WashU extended its winning streak to nine with a pair of road wins last week. Lillegraven had two goals, including the game-winner, in a 6-0 victory at Principia College Tuesday, and then scored both goals in a 2-0 victory at Emory University Saturday. Lillegraven leads the UAA in goals scored (10), points (23) and game-winning goals (4).
Nicklay received UAA Women’s Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in her career after anchoring the Bears’ defensive unit to a pair of shutouts last week on the road. WashU allowed just one shot on goal in the win over Principia Tuesday, and then allowed four shots in the victory at Emory Saturday. Nicklay and the defense limited its opponents to just 14 shots in 180 minutes played last week.
Udenze garnered UAA Volleyball Offensive Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in her career after leading the Bears to a 5-0 record last week. She averaged a team-best 3.26 kills and 3.32 digs per set while hitting .328 from her outside hitter position. With WashU trailing two sets to none against No. 11 Carthage College Friday, Udenze recorded seven of her 15 kills in the Bears’ 25-22 win in set three. With the score tied 5-5 in the fifth set, she served five straight points to give WashU a 10-5 lead that allowed the Bears to complete the comeback win. Udenze finished the week with back-to-back performances of above .400 hitting Saturday, and posted a career-high 18 kills and 17 digs while hitting .484 in the Bears’ final match of the week.
Zastrow was selected as the UAA Volleyball Setter/Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for the third time this season and fourth time in her career. She averaged 12.47 assists and 3.26 digs per set to help the Bears to five wins last week. Zastrow was named to the all-tournament team at the North Central College Tiffany Robinson Memorial Tournament after recording double-doubles of assists and digs in the Bears’ four matches. Zastrow opened the tournament by tallying a career-high 61 assists and 11 digs in WashU’s come-from-behind five-set win over No. 11 Carthage Friday. She had a season-high 19 digs in a four-set win over Loras College, and finished the week with 58 assists in a four-set win over Coe College, an average of 14.50 assists per set.
