Around The Big Ten – September 30

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FOOTBALL

Offensive Player of the Week
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Jr. – WR – Miami Gardens, Fla. – Chaminade-Madonna Prep
• Posted a career day against Illinois with 12 receptions for 217 yards and four touchdowns
• His 217 yards tied for sixth most in a single game in Ohio State history and he is tied for second behind 14 games with at least 100 receiving yards
• Has 3,175 receiving yards for his career to become the only receiver in program history to have over 3,000 career yards and ranks 10th in Big Ten history
• Following his four-touchdown performance, he is tied for fifth in Big Ten history with 34 career touchdown receptions
• Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: Julian Sayin (Oct. 20, 2025)

Defensive Player of the Week
Maverick Baranowski, Minnesota
5th-Yr. – LB – Ponce Inlet, Fla. – Spruce Creek
• Tied for the team lead with seven tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss in a 27-24 win at Washington
• Added 1.0 sacks and his first career interception
• Last Minnesota Defensive Player of the Week: John Nestor (Dec. 1, 2025)

Special Teams Player of the Week
Luke Drzewiecki, Minnesota
5th-Yr. – K – Shelby Township, Mich. – Utica Eisenhower
• Was 2-of-2 on field goals, converting from 31 and a career-long 51 yards
• His 51-yarder proved to be the game-winner against the Huskies
• Scored nine points for the Gophers
• Last Minnesota Special Teams Player of the Week: Javon Tracy (Sept. 7, 2026)

Freshman of the Week
Braeden Jackson, Iowa
R-Fr. – RB – Ankeny, Iowa – Ankeny Centennial  
• Delivered a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Iowa’s 20-19 road victory at No. 18 Michigan
• The return is tied for the seventh-longest kickoff return for a touchdown in program history
• Helped the Hawkeyes earn their first win over a ranked Michigan squad on the road since 2002
• Last Iowa Freshman of the Week: Kaleb Johnson (Nov. 7, 2022)

MEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
Zach Ramsey, Washington 
Jr. – MF – Redmond, Wash. – Mt. Si

• Tallied five points on two goals and an assist, as Washington topped No. 22 Rutgers 4-1
• Ramsey’s 14 goals are the most for a Washington player since 2006 and tied for ninth-most in a season in program history
• Claims second Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season
• Last Washington Offensive Player of the Week: Zach Ramsey (Sept. 22, 2026)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Bryant Mayer, Northwestern

Sr. – D – Owings Mills, Md. – McDonogh

• Anchored a defensive effort that was reduced to just 10 players for nearly 60 minutes of a 1-0 win over Michigan
• Helped hold the Wolverines to just one shot after going down a man in the 32nd minute
• Earns his first Defensive Player of the Week accolade
• Last Northwestern Defensive Player of the Week: Fritz Volmar (Sept. 15, 2026)

Goalkeeper of the Week 
Stockton Short, Washington
5th Yr. – Pleasant View, Utah – Weber 

• Recorded a season-high six saves in Washington’s 4-1 win over No. 22 Rutgers
• Nabs his first Goalkeeper of the Week award
• Last Washington Goalkeeper of the Week: Jaden Bowton (Oct. 28, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Dominic Dono, Michigan State
MF – Plymouth, Mich. – Austin FC

• Netted his first collegiate goal in the Spartan’s 3-0 win over No. 13 Wisconsin
• Entering the game off the bench, scored the first goal of the match in the 44th minute
• Scores his first Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Michigan State Freshman of the Week: Peter Soudan (Sept. 30, 2025)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Offensive Player of the Week
Amanda Schlueter, Ohio State
Sr. – MF – Union, Ky.
• Tallied an eight-point week with a pair of goals against both USC and Iowa
• Connected on the game-winning goal in both matches
• Became the Buckeyes’ all-time leading points scorer and first player to ever hit 100 points in program history
• Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: Elle Britt (Sept. 8, 2026)

Defensive Player of the Week
Paloma Daubert, UCLA
Jr. – D – Rescue, Calif.
• Led the Bruin defense to back-to-back shutouts after blanking both Rutgers and Maryland on the road
• Helped hold the Scarlet Knights to just one shot on goal and the Terrapins to four
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Paloma Daubert (Sept. 22, 2026)

Co-Goalkeepers of the Week
Nyamma Nelson, Northwestern
So. – GK – West Linn, Ore.
• Played all 90 minutes in Northwestern’s two clean sheet victories over Oregon and Indiana
• Collected four saves against the Ducks and six saves versus the Hoosiers
• Her 15 career shutouts are the fourth-most in school history
• Last Northwestern Goalkeeper of the Week: Nyamma Nelson (Aug. 19, 2025)

Krystina Wolf, Purdue
So. – GK – Wayne, N.J.
• Spent 180 minutes in goal to secure a pair of shutouts against Illinois and Minnesota
• Posted three saves versus the Illini and a career-high six saves against the Gophers
• With 10 victories this season, she ranks 10th all-time at Purdue for single-season wins
• Last Purdue Goalkeeper of the Week: Emily Edwards (Oct. 28, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Lilia Calvert, Rutgers
MF – Clarks Summit, Pa.
• Powered the Scarlet Knights to a 3-1 upset win over No. 14 Wisconsin with a goal and an assist
• Registered her assist on the game-winning goal in the second half
• Found the back of the net on a free kick with less than five minutes remaining in the match
• Last Rutgers Freshman of the Week: Lilia Calvert (Sept. 8, 2026)

VOLLEYBALL

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

• Helped No. 1 Nebraska to a 3-0 week with a trio of sweeps against Missouri, Rutgers and Ohio State

• Finished the week leading the Big Ten with a .578 hitting percentage, second in total blocks (14), fourth in blocks/set (1.56), fifth in points (40.5), seventh in points/set (4.50) and 10th in total kills (31)

• Averaged 3.33 kills/set and hit .578 on 45 swings throughout the week

• Recorded 10 kills with no errors on .667 hitting and posted two aces and six blocks vs. Missouri

• Against Rutgers, tallied 14 kills on .632 hitting with four blocks

• Totaled six kills and four blocks in a sweep of Ohio State

• Last Nebraska Player of the Week: Manaia Ogbechie (Sept. 14, 2026)

Defensive Player of the Week
Talita Goncalves, Illinois
So. – L – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

• Led the Illini defensively to back-to-back ranked wins over No. 15 Minnesota and No. 23 USC as Illinois dropped just one set across the two matches to begin Big Ten play 2-0

• Averaged 4.57 digs/set along with a .952 reception percentage, 0.86 assists/set and 0.29 aces/set

• Totaled 32 digs in seven sets

• Recorded 19 digs and three assists in Illinois’ win over Minnesota. Against USC, had 13 digs in three sets

• Last Illinois Defensive Player of the Week: Rylee Hinton (Jan. 25, 2021)

Setter of the Week
Kenna Phelan, Illinois
Sr. – S – Fayetteville, Ark.

• Averaged 10.43 assists per set and 2.71 digs per set across seven sets of action

• Totaled 73 assists, 19 digs, four kills, one ace and a block across Illinois’ 2-0 week against No. 15 Minnesota and No. 23 USC

• Posted a double-double in the win over Minnesota with 37 assists, 10 digs, two kills and a block

• Against USC, recorded 36 assists, nine digs, two kills and an ace in the Illini’s sweep of USC

• Led Illinois to a .266 hitting percentage across the two matches

• Last Illinois Setter of the Week: Kenna Phelan (Sept. 29, 2025)

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

• Tallied back-to-back double-digit kill totals against No. 20 Oregon and No. 10 Purdue, helping Wisconsin to a 2-0 week

• Against the Ducks, Champion totaled 16 kills with just one hitting error to hit .429 (16-1-35), adding 10 digs for her second-career double-double

• Against the Boilermakers, Champion tallied 11 kills and nine digs

• For the week, Champion averaged 3.86 kills per set, 2.71 digs per set and added 1.29 blocks per set for a total of 31.5 points in seven sets

• Earns second consecutive Freshman of the Week honor

• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Decelise Champion (Sept. 21, 2026)