PORTLAND, Ore. – Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Northwest Nazarene put forth a pair of clean sheets last week, and center backs from each squad highlighted the latest Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards announced on Monday.
 
Senior captains Kobe Avila from the NNU men’s soccer team and Kate Bleffert from the NNU women’s soccer team each played crucial roles in keeping their combined four opponents scoreless last week.
 

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WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Morgan Manalili – Western Washington University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
 
Manalili impacted all three goals that the Vikings scored last week, helping her team stay atop the GNAC standings by earning six important points at home. Last Thursday against Montana State Billings, Manalili set up a 23rd-minute goal by Ashley Nguyen to give WWU a 1-0 advantage. After MSUB equalized in the 29th minute, the junior from Shoreline, Wash., tucked away the game-winning goal in the 43rd minute with a brilliant strike from the top of the box. Receiving a square pass from 20 yards out, Manalili put her foot through a powerful strike that carried inside the lower-right goal post. Her second game-winning goal of the year was enough to give the Vikings a 2-1 win. Saturday’s match against Simon Fraser was scoreless until the 80th minute, when Manalili helped engineer a game-winner by Emily Holdridge for her second assist of the week. Manalili is now tied for second in the GNAC with five assists this fall. The GNAC’s active career leader in goals, Manalili has found the net 18 times across her three seasons with the Vikings. A dozen of her finishes have stood as game-winners.
 
WWU Head Coach Travis Connell: “Morgan is really in sync with her teammates right now. They understand what they are trying to accomplish on the field and it is yielding dividends.”
 
Also Nominated: Jordan Bartlow, Central Washington; Kendall McGraw, Montana State Billings; Savanna Herz, Northwest Nazarene; Nora Patterson, Seattle Pacific; Raegan Mackenzie, Simon Fraser; Ally Beavers, Western Oregon.
 

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WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kate Bleffert – Northwest Nazarene University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
 
In her 68th collegiate start for the Nighthawks, the senior center back delivered her first collegiate goal to help her team defeat Central Washington 1-0 on Saturday. With just over seven minutes remaining in a scoreless stalemate, Bleffert cued up a set piece try from 43 yards away. Her high-arcing shot carried just under the crossbar in the upper-left corner of the net, spurring her team to the win. The offensive contribution came amid 180 minutes of stellar defense, as she helped the Nighthawks pick up back-to-back clean sheets last week. NNU beat Saint Martin’s 2-0 last Thursday, with Bleffert anchoring the defensive unit. The senior from Driggs, Idaho, has started every match for NNU over the last four years including all 12 this season.
 
NNU Head Coach Mary Ybarguen: “Kate played a big role in our two shutouts. She is a consistent presence for us in the back. It was an amazing goal and such a sweet reward for all her hard work.”
 
Also Nominated: Danika Galbraith, Central Washington; Keilee Silva, Saint Martin’s; Mercedes Cullen, Seattle Pacific; Emily Smith, Simon Fraser; Jada Foster, Western Oregon; Abigail Trengove, Western Washington.
 

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MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Raymundo Mendez – Seattle Pacific University
Third-career player of the week, first this season.
 
Mendez played a critical part in the Falcons’ 2-1 win over Simon Fraser last Thursday, scoring both of his team’s goals to secure three points on the road. With the Falcons trailing after an early tally by the Red Leafs, Mendez stepped to the 12-yard spot and converted a penalty kick to equalize in the 30th minute. The 1-1 deadlock continued until midway through the second half, when Mendez scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute to secure the win. The senior from Yakima, Wash., recorded his first brace of the campaign, and upped his season goal count to seven which leads the GNAC. The reigning GNAC Newcomer of the Year has now scored 20 goals in his 28 matches played for SPU dating back to the start of the 2023 season.
 
SPU Head Coach Kevin Sakuda: “Ray continues to step up in critical moments for us this year. He leads from front in terms of the example he sets every day in training, and he carries that over to his performances in games. The quality he brings in front of goal is special and he continues to deliver when the team needs it most, which is what great leaders do.”
 
Also Nominated: Florian Senf, Montana State Billings; Caleb Putney, Northwest Nazarene; Ethan Jud, Saint Martin’s; Michael Hennessy, Simon Fraser; Marcus Vazquez, Western Oregon; Eric Bunnell, Western Washington.
 

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MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kobe Avila – Northwest Nazarene University
First-career player of the week.
 
Northwest Nazarene doesn’t keep two clean sheets last week without the efforts of their senior captain on the back line, as he helped his squad secure four important GNAC points at home. Avila’s standout performance started with a 90-minute effort in the Nighthawks’ 0-0 draw against Montana State Billings, as his unit withstood a barrage of 15 shots by the ‘Jackets and kept them out of the net. His biggest moment of the week came in Saturday’s 1-0 win over reigning GNAC champion Simon Fraser, as he slid at the goal line to push away a shot that was headed for the back of an empty net. Avila has started 28 of NNU’s 29 games since joining the team in 2023.
 
NNU Head Coach James Williamson: “Kobe’s approach each day has been fantastic this year. Every day he shows up to demand of himself and lift up his teammates. He has been reliable and has provided consistent leadership for the group at large on a daily basis, whether the results have been favorable or not. His performances this weekend in particular highlighted this aspect of who he is. He shows up in big ways when you need him most and does the work necessary to make sure others shine.”
 
Also Nominated: George Jones, Montana State Billings; Pierluca Carnovale, Seattle Pacific; Joar Tidblom, Western Washington.
 

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VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Emily Tulino – Seattle Pacific University
First-career player of the week.
 
The Falcons picked up a pair of wins last week thanks in large part to the expert play of their senior setter. The Carlsbad, Calif., native led all GNAC players last week with 10.44 assists per set and tied for the most service aces in the conference with five total (0.56 aces per set). In SPU’s five-set win over Western Oregon last Thursday, Tulino posted 45 assists, 10 digs and four block assists to fill up the stat sheet. She followed that by setting her collegiate single-match career high for the second straight game, totaling 49 assists in SPU’s 3-1 win over Saint Martin’s last Saturday. It was the most assists in a match by any GNAC setter this season. Tulino also had a season-high five service aces, finishing one off her collegiate best of six. Adding six block assists and 14 digs, Tulino completed her fifth straight double-double and seventh of the season. Her big performance pushed her up to No. 3 in the GNAC this fall with 6.94 assists per set, her highest season average across her collegiate career. The fourth-year Falcon has racked up 2,065 assists in her career and holds a career average of 5.85 assists per set.
 
SPU Head Coach Jason Rhine: “Emily is an amazing competitor and leader for our team. Our offense has gone through several iterations this season and Emily has been a key piece to getting the most out of each version. Individually, she contributes in so many ways; setting but also defending and serving well and fighting for blocks. Tactically, Emily scouts each opponent thoroughly and has a gameplan for how to attack each defense and help our team to be effective offensively. Emily also cares deeply about her teammates and wants the best for them on and off the court.”
 
Also Nominated: Karli Nielson, Alaska Fairbanks; Morgan Halady, Central Washington; Julia Gordon, Montana State Billings; Emmy Hansen, Saint Martin’s; Davida Hill, Simon Fraser; Emily Vossenkuhl, Western Washington.
 

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VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ezawa Malish – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
 
Malish led the Red Leafs to a pair of victories last week, helping her team extend its winning streak to six matches and move into a tie for first place in the GNAC standings. The senior from Coquitlam, B.C., led all GNAC players last week with 2.14 blocks per set, racking up 15 total blocks across her seven sets played. In SFU’s sweep of Central Washington, Malish put up seven total blocks including a pair of solo denials. She followed that with eight total blocks in SFU’s 3-1 win over Northwest Nazarene last Saturday, finishing just one off her season high of nine. Malish upped her season average to 1.20 blocks per set, ranking her second in the GNAC.
 
SFU Head Coach Gina Schmidt: “I am glad to see her get some acknowledgement, because with some of the big hitters we have she doesn’t always get recognition. She has been steady for us all season with her blocking and leadership as a senior. If a team has a key hitter, we are always hoping that Ezawa is matched up with them. She fires up our team when she gets those blocks, and she does a great job of putting up a wall.”
 
Also Nominated: Tessa Onaga, Alaska Fairbanks; Hannah Stires, Central Washington; Christine Funk, Montana State Billings; Jennifer Soha, Saint Martin’s; Chloe Asciutto, Western Oregon; Delaney Speer, Western Washington.