Around The Big Ten – September 23

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FOOTBALL

Offensive Player of the Week
Aidan Chiles, Northwestern
Sr. – QB – Long Beach, Calif. – Downey
• Completed 17-of-22 passes for 241 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while also rushing for two scores on the ground in a 41-7 win over Colorado
• First Northwestern quarterback since 2001 and 26th Big Ten quarterback since at least 1995 to record a minimum of three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a single game
• First Big Ten quarterback to post at least a 75% completion percentage, throw for 240 passing yards, throw for three touchdowns and rush for two scores in a single game since 2017
• Last Northwestern Offensive Player of the Week: Preston Stone (Nov. 24, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week
Sammy Omosigho, UCLA
Sr. – LB – Crandall, Texas – Crandall
• Against Purdue, totaled a team-high 12 tackles (11 solo) while forcing two fumbles and recording 2.0 sacks for 21 yards
• First Bruin since at least the turn of the century to force a fumble in three straight games
• Notched the first multi-sack game of his career and hit the double-digit tackle mark for the second time
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Ta’Shawn James (Sept. 7, 2026)

Special Teams Player of the Week
Caden Chittenden, USC
R-So. – K – Las Vegas, Nev. – Faith Lutheran
• Was perfect in the Trojans’ 42-35 road victory over Rutgers, converting both field goal attempts and all four PATs
• Accounted for 10 points, the second-most by any USC player in the game and the most he’s scored as a Trojan
• Last USC Special Teams Player of the Week: Ryon Sayeri (Nov. 17, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Riley Wormley, USC
R-Fr. – RB – Euless, Texas – Carroll
• Produced 54 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns on just four touches, rushing three times for a career-high 52 yards and catching a two-yard touchdown pass against the Scarlet Knights
• Averaged an explosive 17.3 yards per carry with each of his three rushing attempts, gaining at least 12 yards and producing a first down or touchdown
• Last USC Freshman of the Week: Mark Bowman (Sept. 14, 2026)

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Week 
Mckenna Wucherer, Minnesota 
Fifth-Year – OH – Brookfield, Wis. 

• Produced back-to-back career highs in kills, leading Minnesota to a 2-0 week at the South Dakota Lottery Challenge
• On Friday, Wucherer set a pair of career-highs with 25 kills and 15 digs. Wucherer hit .417 (25-5-48) in four sets
• Followed that performance with another 25-kill outing where she hit .413, adding 11 digs for consecutive double-doubles
• On the weekend, Wucherer had 50 kills (eight sets), averaging 6.25 kills per set with a .415 hitting efficiency. She added four aces, 26 digs and four blocks
• Earns second Player of the Week honor of the season
• Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Mckenna Wucherer (Sept. 7, 2026)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Mia Tvrdy, USC 
Jr. – MB – La Vista, Neb. 

• Tied the Big Ten rally-scoring era record for blocks in a match (16) in a straight-set win against UC Santa Barbara on Sunday. Her 16 total blocks (one solo) set the USC single match record in the rally-scoring era
• For the week, totaled 23 blocks in 10 sets, averaging 2.30 blocks per set.
• Logged a career-high four digs in the 3-0 win vs. UC Santa Barbara
• Added 22 kills to average 3.45 points per set in three matches
• Last USC Defensive Player of the Week: Leah Ford (Nov. 24, 2025)

Setter of the Week  
Charlie Fuerbringer, Wisconsin 
Jr. – S – Hermosa Beach, Calif. 

• Set the Badgers to a 2-0 week, defeating Marquette and Milwaukee
• Averaged 13.50 assists per set and 2.75 digs per set over eight sets
• Against Milwaukee, Fuerbringer recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 54 assists and 16 digs, setting the Badgers to a .326 hitting percentage
• Recorded 54 assists against Marquette with six digs, a block and a kill, cueing the Badger offense to .369 hitting
• Last Wisconsin Setter of the Week: Charlie Fuerbringer (Nov. 24, 2025)

Freshman of the Week 
Decelise Champion, Wisconsin 
RS – Dorado, Puerto Rico 

• Recorded 20 kills, 11 digs and three blocks against Marquette in just the third match of her career, hitting .441 (20-5-34) against the Golden Eagles
• Played just one set in Wisconsin’s second match of the week against Milwaukee, quickly recording six kills on nine swings
• In five total sets, Champion averaged 5.20 kills per set, 2.20 digs per set and 5.50 points per set
• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Charlie Fuerbringer (Nov. 18, 2024)

MEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
William Pierce, Rutgers 
Grad. – MF – Christchurch, New Zealand – AF Pacific

• Paired a goal and an assist, as the scarlet Knights claimed wins over No. 11 Princeton and No. 3 Ohio State
• Scored an insurance goal in the 40th minute of a 2-0 victory over Princeton
• Notched the assist on Josh Jerome’s 55th minute game-winning goal to top Ohio State 2-1
• Claims first Offensive Player of the Week honor
• Last Rutgers Offensive Player of the Week: Joschi Schelb (Sept. 2, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Braxton Montgomery, Rutgers
Soph. – D – Scottsdale, Ariz. – Horizon

• Assisted on Abu Mayanja’s game-winning goal against Princeton, while helping hold the Tigers to just one first half shot attempt
• Scored the game-tying goal on a 26th minute volley in Rutgers’ 2-1 win at Ohio State
• Earns his first Defensive Player of the Week accolade
• Last Rutgers Defensive Player of the Week: Nick Collins (Oct. 14, 2025)

Goalkeeper of the Week 
Michal Mroz, Indiana
Jr. – Elk Grove, Ill. – Elk Grove

• Nabs his first Goalkeeper of the Week award
• Recorded a season-high eight saves to keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Washington
• The win marked Mroz’s fifth shutout and seventh win of the season
• Marks his first Goaltender of the week honor
• Last Indiana Goalkeeper of the Week: Holden Brown (Sept 9, 2025)

Freshman of the Week 
Said El Eyssami, Maryland
F – Merida, Venezuela, Northwood Prep

• Scored the lone goal in Maryland’s 1-0 win over No. 7 Wisconsin
• Marked the rookie’s third game-winning goal of the season
• Nabs his second Freshman of the Week award
• Last Maryland Freshman of the Week: Rodrigo Neri (Sept. 8, 2026)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
Ella Jablinskey, Michigan
Jr. – F – St. Clair, Mich.
• Recorded five points in Michigan’s 3-1 road win over No. 1 Michigan State
• Contributed to all three Wolverine tallies with two goals and an assist
• Scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in a three-minute span during the second-half comeback
• Last Michigan Offensive Player of the Week: Gabrielle Prych (Aug. 19, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week
Paloma Daubert, UCLA
Jr. – D – Rescue, Calif.
• Led the Bruin defense to its third shutout of the year, a 1-0 victory over No. 5 Ohio State
• Part of a defense that held the Buckeyes to seven shots
• Helped hand Ohio State its first loss of the season
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Grace Shank (Oct. 21, 2025)

Goalkeeper of the Week & Freshman of the Week
Malia Zillman, Michigan
Fr. – GK – Waunakee, Wis.
• Made a season-high eight saves against the No. 1 Spartans
• Earned seven saves in a scoreless half
• Faced 21 shots, including 10 on goal, helping Michigan secure its first win over a No. 1-ranked opponent in program history
• Last Michigan Goalkeeper of the Week: Sophie Homan (Sept. 30, 2025)
• Last Michigan Freshman of the Week: Jenna Lang (Oct. 25, 2022)