Weekly Honors
The Southern Conference announced its weekly awards for women's soccer, recognizing outstanding performances from the recent Aug. 12‑17 window. Payton Nutzman of Mercer and Peyton Hull of Samford were named the offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively.
Nutzman’s impact was immediate, as she converted a penalty kick and added a decisive goal in Mercer’s 2‑1 victory over Jackson State on August 12, and later contributed a 55‑minute stint in a 1‑0 win against West Georgia on August 16.
Hull, meanwhile, backstopped Samford with eight saves in a 0‑0 draw against second‑ranked Notre Dame on August 12, then followed with three stops in a 2‑0 home triumph over Belmont on August 16.
Looking ahead, Mercer is scheduled to travel to Maine on Thursday before opening its home season against South Carolina State on Sunday, while Samford will host Georgia State on Thursday and then journey to South Alabama on Sunday.
The weekly nominee list also featured Laney Smith, Martha Bishop, Quinn Johnson, Halle Bibee, Gabriela Vatrano and Satya Tarafdar for offensive consideration, and Caroline Ekern, Laila McNamee and Elizabeth Navola for defensive honors.
Both teams hope the early‑season momentum will carry them through a demanding stretch of matches as conference play ramps up.