Around The Big Ten – September 24

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FOOTBALL

Co-Offensive Players of the Week

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

QB – Jr. – Miami, Fla. – Christopher Columbus

·       Completed 21-of-23 passes for 267 yards and tied a career-high five passing touchdowns in a victory over No. 9/8 Illinois

·       Posted back-to-back games with five passing touchdowns to move his Big Ten-leading total to 14

·       Of his 21 completions, 14 went for either a first down or touchdown and finished the game with 15-straight completions

·       His .910 (21-for-23) completion percentage put him at No. 3 on the game completion percentage charts just a week after setting the program’s record of .950 (19-for-20) in Week 3 against Indiana State (9/12)

·       Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Omar Cooper Jr. (Sept. 15, 2025)

Demond Williams Jr., Washington

QB – So. – Chandler, Ariz. – Basha

·       Accounted for five total touchdowns as Washington won the Apple Cup vs. Washington State, 59-24

·       Completed 16-of-19 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, while also rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries

·       His .842 completion percentage was good for eighth in UW single-game history

·       Led the Huskies to scores on first eight possessions of the game, with the only non-scoring possession, when UW took a knee to end the game (on a one-play drive)

·       Last Washington Offensive Player of the Week: Jonah Coleman (Sept. 8, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week

Daniel Wingate, Maryland

LB – Jr. – Bowie, Md. – St. Vincent Pallotti

·       Led Maryland with 11 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 1.5 TFLs & 1 QBH as the Terps held Wisconsin to just 10 points

·       Wingate leads the Big Ten in total tackles with 39 (fifth nationally), recording 10+ tackles in three of four games this season

·       Led a Terps defense that has allowed just 46 points through four games, Maryland’s lowest since 2013

·       Teams have scored only 50% of the time they’ve reached Maryland’s red zone, ranking third nationally

·       Last Maryland Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Dante Trader Jr. (Sept. 16, 2024)

Co-Special Teams Players of the Week

Kaden Wetjen, Iowa

WR – Gr. – Williamsburg, Iowa – Williamsburg

·       Tied an Iowa record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff in the 38-28 road win at Rutgers

·       It is the sixth 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in school history and the second of Wetjen’s career, making him the second Hawkeye to return an opening kickoff for a touchdown (C.J. Jones vs. USC in the 2003 Orange Bowl)

·       He is now tied for the most career kickoff returns for a touchdown in school history (2) and his four career combined return touchdowns (two punt, two kickoff) are tied for the second-most all-time

·       Marked his second straight and fifth career game with 100+ return yards

·       Last Iowa Special Teams Players of the Week: Kaden Wetjen (Sept. 15, 2025)

Dominic Zvada, Michigan

K – Sr. – Chandler, Ariz. – Valley Christian

·       Converted field goals of 21, 46, 56 yards in Michigan’s 30-27 victory against Nebraska

·       His 56 yarder matches his career long, both at Michigan and as a collegian

·       Has hit 56 yards four times in his career, three at Michigan

·       Improved to 8-for-8 in his career from 50-plus yards

·       Last Michigan Special Teams Players of the Week: Dominic Zvada (Dec. 2, 2024)

Freshman of the Week

Malik Washington, Maryland

QB – Glen Burnie, Md. – Archbishop Spalding

• Threw for 265-yards and accounted for three touchdowns with zero interceptions in Maryland’s 27-10 win at Wisconsin
• His 62-yard touchdown pass to Shaleak Knotts was the longest of his career
• Malik’s 1,038 passing yards are the most for any A4 conferences true freshman QB since Jayden Daniels with 1073 in 2019
• Malik is the first Big Ten QB to throw for 250+ yards in his first four career games this century
• Last Maryland Freshman of the Week: Malik Washington (Sept. 1, 2025)

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Week 
Mimi Colyer, Wisconsin 
Sr. – OH – Lincoln, Calif. 

• Helped the Badgers to another 2-0 week after wins over No. 15 Florida (3-1) and Marquette (3-0)
• Reached double figures in kills in both matches, including a season-high 27 against the nationally ranked Gators. Added 14 digs in the effort for her second double-double of the season and 38^th of her career
• Finished the week with 40 kills while hitting .390 (40-8-82), tallying 13 kills with a .550 hitting percentage vs. Marquette
• Averaged 5.71 kills per set, 2.86 digs per set and 6.50 points per set over the two matches
• Last Wisconsin Player of the Week: Mimi Colyer (Sept. 15, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Carter Booth, Wisconsin 
Sr. – MB – Denver, Colo. 

• Led the Badger defense as part of a 2-0 week totaling 12.0 blocks in seven sets, including a season-high nine blocks against No. 15 Florida
• Averaged 1.71 blocks per set while adding 1.57 kills per set and 2.50 points per set
• Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week: Carter Booth (Oct. 21, 2024)

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

• Led the Badgers to a 2-0 weekend, including a sweep at Marquette and a 3-1 win against No. 15 Florida
• In seven sets, Fuerbringer averaged 11.71 assists per set, 2.14 digs per set and added 0.86 kills and blocks per set
• Against the nationally ranked Gators, Fuerbringer dished out a season-best 50 assists and recorded her fourth double-double of the season adding 15 digs. Fuerbringer set the Badgers to a .265 hitting percentage
• Tallied 32 assists in three sets against Marquette, leading Wisconsin to a .487 hitting percentage, the fourth time this season that Wisconsin has hit above .440 in a match
• Earns second consecutive Setter of the Week honor
• Last Wisconsin Setter of the Week: Charlie Fuerbringer (Sept. 15, 2025)

Freshman of the Week 
Reese Messer, USC 
S – Olathe, Kan.  

• Led USC to three wins to extend to a four-match win streak and finish non-conference play 9-1
• Averaged 11.36 assists per set and 2.64 digs per set in 11 sets of action across the three wins against LSU (twice) and California
• Produced her third and fourth double-doubles with 40 assists and 10 digs against LSU and 43 assists and a career-high 12 digs against Cal
• Reached a career-best five blocks against Cal with three solo blocks
• Last USC Freshman of the Week: Jadyn Livings (Sept. 23, 2024)

FIELD HOCKEY

Offensive Player of the Week
Ilse Tromp, Northwestern
Jr. – B/M – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Laurens Lyceum Rotterdam

• Produced 10 points in Northwestern’s road sweep of Delaware and Villanova
• Excelled at both ends of the field, scoring five goals (including two game-winners) while holding the Blue Hens and Wildcats scoreless
• Notched her first career hat trick in a 4-0 win over Delaware on Friday
• Leads the top-ranked Wildcats in scoring with 16 points
• Last Northwestern Offensive Player of the Week: Ashley Sessa (Nov. 4, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Juliana Boon, Northwestern
R-Fr. – G – Houston, Texas – St. John’s School

• Recorded fifth and sixth shutouts of the season to help No. 1 Northwestern to road wins over Delaware and Villanova
• Turned away eight shots on goal during the weekend, improving her NCAA-best save percentage to .920 on the year
• Matched a season-high with five saves on Sunday while extending her shutout streak to 163 minutes
• Sports the nation’s top goals-against average (0.25), having allowed just two goals in eight contests
• Earns her second Big Ten Defensive honor of the year

Freshman of the Week
Jordyn Hollamon, Maryland
Fr. – M – Delmar, DE – Delmar

• Compiled a team-best three points in Maryland’s 3-1 win over No. 16 Penn State in the conference opener for both teams
• In just 37 minutes of action, contributed a goal off a penalty corner and threaded a long pass on Feliz Kuhne’s goal that made the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10
• Helped No. 10 Maryland improve to 5-0 at home
• Shares team scoring honors with 10 points after seven games
• Collects her second Big Ten Freshman award of the season