Around The Big Ten – September 3

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FOOTBALL

Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Jayden Maiava, USC

QB – Jr. – Palolo, Hawaii – Liberty

• Went 15-of-18 (.833) with a pair of touchdowns for 295 yards with a long of 73 yards to lead the Trojans to a 73-13 victory over Missouri State to open the 2025 season on Saturday
• Rushed for nine yards and scored a touchdown on a three-yard rush into the end zone
• His 295 passing yards matched his second-highest passing total last season (295 yards versus Texas A&M on Dec. 27, 2024)
• Maiava’s 295 passing yards in the first half versus Missouri State were the most by a Trojan in a first half since former USC QB Kedon Slovis’ 347 first-half yards versus Arizona State on Nov. 9, 2019
• Last USC Offensive Player of the Week: Miller Moss (Sept. 2, 2024)

Jonah Coleman, Washington

RB – Sr. – Stockton, Calif. – Lincoln

• Led Washington to a 38-21 win over Colorado State, rushing for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries
• Scored on the game’s opening drive, a 26-yard run, and scored the game’s final touchdown, from third yards out in the fourth quarter
• His 177 rushing yards were just one shy of his career high
• Also caught one pass for 22 yards, and had a 38-yard carry
• First Washington Offensive Player of the Week

Defensive Player of the Week

Preston Zachman, Wisconsin

S – Gr. – Elysburg, Pa. – Southern Columbia

• Grabbed a pair of interceptions in Wisconsin’s 17-0 win over Miami (OH)
• Also recorded a pair of solo tackles in the win
• Zachman’s first INT set up a Badger score inside the 5-yard line to put Wisconsin up 17-0, while his second sealed the victory in the game’s final minutes
• Helped the Badger defense hold Miami (OH) to only 117 total yards and an 0-for-9 clip on 3rd down, marking the Badgers’ first shutout since the 2022 opener, and the performance marked the first time since 2017 that the Badgers held an opponent under 150 total yards and without a successful third down conversion
• Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Hunter Wohler (Sept. 18, 2023)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Hank Beatty, Illinois

WR – Sr. – Rochester, Ill. – Rochester

• Broke Illinois’ 102-year-old single-game punt return yardage record, totaling 133 yards on four punt returns to break Red Grange’s record set in 1923 (125 yards)
• Highlighting Beatty’s punt returns was a 69-yard TD in the third quarter, Illinois’ first punt return touchdown since 2013
• The 69-yard score was Illinois’ longest punt return touchdown since Christian Morton (80 yards) vs. Indiana (11/4/2000)
• Also added five receptions for 108 yards, his first career 100-yard receiving game
• Last Illinois Special Teams Players of the Week: Fabrizio Pinton (Oct. 10, 2022)

Freshman of the Week

Malik Washington, Maryland

QB – Glen Burnie, Md. – Archbishop Spalding

• Completed 27 of 43 passes for 258 yards, three touchdown and zero interceptions in his first career game
• Washington’s three touchdown passes were the most in a true freshman’s debut in the Big Ten since 2009 (Michigan’s Tate Forcier), the most by a true freshman in a Power Conference since 2018 (Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence) and the most by a true freshman in a debut against an FBS school since UCLA’s Josh Rosen in 2015
• Washington’s 27 completions are the most by a Maryland true freshman quarterback in a game in school history
• His 27 completions are the most by a true freshman in a Power Conference debut since Jaxson Dart (USC) had 30 against Washington State in 2021
• Last Maryland Freshman of the Week: Roman Hemby (Oct. 24, 2022)

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Week
Julia Hanson, Minnesota
Sr. – OH– Savage, Minn.

• Named Golden Gopher Invitational Tournament MVP after producing 4.64 kills, 1.73 digs, 0.36 blocks and 0.09 aces per set in the Gophers’ 3-0 weekend against Cal Poly, Ball State and St. Thomas

• Hit .370 for the weekend with 51 kills

• Produced a season-high 21 kills behind .340 hitting on Friday vs. Cal Poly, adding five digs and a block

• Posted 12 kills with a .632 hitting percentage on Saturday vs. Ball State, adding four digs and two solo blocks

• Finished the weekend with her first double double of the year, tallying 18 kills and 10 digs with a block

• Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Julia Hanson (Dec. 2, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week
Leah Ford, USC
RS-So. – MB – Keller, Texas

• Produced her first-career double double in a 3-1 win over LMU

• Had a career best 10 blocks (3 solo) and a career-high 11 kills (while hitting .625) in the victory, also reaching a career milestone of 18.5 points

• Averaged 2.50 blocks per set and 4.63 points per set, helping limit the LMU offense to a .080 hitting percentage

• Ford is the first USC player to record double-digit blocks in a match and a double-double with blocks since Lindsey Miller did on Aug. 31, 2023
• Last USC Defensive Player of the Week: Leah Ford (Sept. 1, 2025)

Setter of the Week
Stella Swenson, Minnesota
RS-Fr. – S – Minnetonka, Minn.

• Named to Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team after recording 11.27 assists, 2.91 digs, 0.91 kills and 0.45 blocks per set in a 3-0 weekend for Minnesota

• Posted a career-best 48 assists to go along with seven kills and 14 digs Friday vs. Cal Poly, setting a Minnesota offense to a .350 hitting percentage

•  Followed it up with 39 assists, two kills and seven digs in a sweep over Ball State, where the Gophers hit .523. It was Minnesota’s first time hitting over .500 in a match since 2017

• Had 37 assists, 11 digs, three blocks, a kill and an ace in a win over St. Thomas

• Last Minnesota Setter of the Week: Melani Shaffmaster (Nov. 28, 2022)

Freshman of the Week
Alanah Clemente, Oregon
OPP – Mission Hills, Calif.

• Accounted for 5.67 points per set, 4.83 kills per set, 1.67 blocks per set and hit .684 (29-3-38) during Oregon’s 3-0 weekend at the EVEN Hotel Bobcat Invite in Bozeman, Mont.

• In the opener, Clemente had 11 kills (.667) in two sets of the Ducks’ 3-1 win over South Dakota

• Produced her second double-digit performance of the weekend with 13 kills (.647) in a sweep of host Montana State, adding six blocks in the victory

• Provided a spark off the bench with five kills and two blocks in the fourth set of Saturday’s 3-1 win over Prairie View A&M

• Last Oregon Freshman of the Week: Cristin Cline (Oct. 21, 2024)

MEN’S SOCCER

Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Palmer Ault, Indiana
Sr. – F – Noblesville, Ind. – Noblesville

• Totaled seven points on three goals and an assist, as the Hoosiers scored a pair of wins
• Tallied both goals in Indiana’s 2-0 win over No. 14 Oregon State
• Scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 2-1 victory over Green Bay
• Garners his first Offensive Player of the Week award
• Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Jacopo Fedrizzi (Aug. 26, 2025)

Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Joschi Schelb, Rutgers
Jr. – F – Freiberg, Germany – Angell

• Posted nine points on the week in leading Rutgers to a pair of road victories
• Paired a goal and an assist in Rutgers’ 4-1 win at James Madison
• Recorded a hat trick in the game’s opening 22 minutes of a 4-1 win at William and Mary, the Scarlet Knights’ first hat trick since Sept. 27, 2016
• Collects his first Offensive Player of the Week award
• Last Rutgers Offensive Player of the Week: MD Myers (Oct. 25, 2022)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Nick McHenry, Ohio State
So. – D – Loveland, Ohio – Loveland

• Anchored a defense that surrendered 11 total shots, as the Buckeyes claimed a pair of wins at the 2025 Wolstein Classic
• Netted his first career goal in a 2-1 win over Temple
• Earns his first Defensive Player of the Week award
• Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week: Siggi Magnusson (Oct. 8, 2024)

Goalkeeper of the Week 
Holden Brown, Indiana
Grad. – Zionsville, Ind. – Zionsville

• Surrendered just one goal in 180 minutes in leading the Hoosiers to a pair of wins
• Kept a clean sheet with four saves in Indiana’s 2-0 win over No. 14 Oregon State
• Earns his first Goalkeeper of the Week award
• Last Indiana Goalkeeper of the Week: JT Harms (Oct. 29, 2024)

Freshman of the Week 
Luke Spadafora, Michigan State
Fr. – M – Northville, Mich. – Northville

• Scored the game-winning goal in the 78th minute to give the Spartans a 1-0 win over Detroit Mercy
• Played 89 of 90 minutes and recorded a game-high five shots
• Earns his first Freshman of the Week award
• Last Michigan State Freshman of the Week: Brandon Munson (Oct. 1, 2024)

FIELD HOCKEY

Offensive Player of the Week
Makenna Webster, Ohio State
Gr. – F – St. Louis, Mo. – Wisconsin

• Compiled 10 goals and an assist for 21 points in Ohio State’s weekend sweep of Mid-American Conference teams
• Set an OSU game-record with six goals for the No. 13 Buckeyes in their home opener, a 9-3 win versus Kent State on Sunday
• Jump-started the season with four goals in a 7-0 triumph of Ball State on Friday
• Her points total for the week was the highest among NCAA players
• The 2024 All-American earns her fourth career Big Ten weekly award

Defensive Player of the Week
Emily Nicholls, Rutgers
Fr. – G – Haddon Heights, N.J. – Camden Catholic

• A redshirt freshman, Nicholls didn’t allow a goal in 105 minutes of action as No. 16 Rutgers won a pair of nonconference games to open the season
• Helped Rutgers to a 2-0 road win over American East champion and NCAA participant Vermont, finishing with eight saves
• Played three quarters in her collegiate debut against Wagner, making three saves
• Became first goalkeeper during Coach Meredith Civico’s 14-year tenure to not allow a goal over first two collegiate starts.
• Last Rutgers Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week: Sophia Howard (Oct. 21, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Jordyn Hollamon, Maryland
Fr. – M/B – Delmar, Del. – Delmar

• Helped No. 4 Maryland to a 2-0 record in the Conference Cup with home wins over Stanford and Villanova
• Came off the bench to score twice against Villanova behind a team-high four shots
• Assisted on Maryland’s first goal of the season, scored just 1:40 into the opening quarter versus Stanford on Friday
• Owns a share of the team’s scoring lead with five points
• Last Maryland Big Ten Freshman Winner: Ella Galtan (Nov. 4, 2024)