WINONA LAKE – Bethany Blackwood continued her impressive season when she was named the NCCAA and Crossroads League Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The standout goalkeeper from No. 17 Grace’s women’s soccer team was instrumental on Saturday. Blackwood registered a 110-minute shutout against No. 20 Spring Arbor with five saves. But her most important moments came in the penalty shootout when she made two saves to help the Lady Lancers advance to the Crossroads League Tournament Semi-finals.
Blackwood has eight shutouts on the season in helping the Lady Lancers’ defense.
Grace will play at No. 15 Marian on Saturday in the semifinals; the winner of that match will play either Indiana Wesleyan or Mt. Vernon Nazarene in the tournament finals.
Other Crossroads Lea-gue players of the week were:
Men’s Basketball – Grant Gelon, Bethel. Gelon scored at least 24 points in all three games for RV Bethel, netting 24.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game over a trio of Pilot victories. The junior guard connected at a 50.0-percent clip from the field and drained 15-of-33 triples and all 17 of his free throw attempts.
Women’s Basketball– Sarah Fryman, Huntington. Fryman averaged 25.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals while leading RV Huntington to victories over No. 4 Indiana Tech and Cornerstone. The senior went for 24 points and three steals in HU’s 79-77 upset of Indiana Tech.
Volleyball Attacker - Skyler Van Note, Marian
Van Note paced No. 15 Marian to three more league victories with 4.6 kills, 4.6 digs and 0.5 blocks per set. The sophomore posted two double-doubles and piled up 51 kills, 51 digs, six blocks and three aces in the three wins.
Volleyball Defender Samantha Korn, Taylor. Korn reached the 25-dig mark in two-of-three Taylor victories, piling up 73 digs over three matches and averaging 6.1 digs per set to go with 17 assists and three aces. The All-American was dominant in TU’s five-set win over MVNU with 29 digs and eight assists.
Volleyball Setter – Alex Falcone, Indiana Wesleyan. Falcone was at it again for No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan, collecting 104 assists in a trio of three-set wins for the Wildcats. Falcone averaged 11.6 assists per set and continues to league the Crossroads League in that category.
Men’s Soccer, offense – Caleb Sexton, Huntington. Sexton found the back of the net less than three minutes into Saturday’s 4-1 Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinal win over USF and later assisted on two other Forester goals to put the game out of reach.
Men’s Soccer, Defense – Joshua Dunn, Mount Vernon Nazarene. Dunn highlighted MVNU’s 2-0 victory over Indiana Wesleyan in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals, making three saves in the goal to preserve the shutout.
Women’s Soccer, offense – Sydney Brown, IWU. Brown played a role in each of No. 11 IWU’s goals during a 2-0 win against Saint Francis in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals. Brown scored one goal and assisted on another, while putting four-of-seven shots on frame.
