NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tusculum sophomore quarterback Matthew Palazzo combined for four touchdowns this weekend in a 35-21 victory over Catawba to earn the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Offensive Player of the Week in football as the organization announced its weekly winners for Sept. 18-24 on Tuesday.
Palazzo, a sophomore out of Greenville, Tenn., combined for 282 yards of total offense and four touchdowns as the Pioneers defeated Catawba 35-21. He threw for 226 yards as he completed 23 of his 33 passes with two scores, while also rushing for 56 yards and two more touchdowns.
On the defensive side, Chattanooga sophomore linebacker Alex Mitchell (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) helped lead the Mocs to a 47-24 win over No. 17 Samford as he collected five tackles – the most by a non-secondary player – with a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown. Mitchell and his Mocs teammates held the Bulldogs to a 2-for-5 performance in the red zone, forcing them to a plus-3 turnover margin.
MEN’S SOCCER: In his first career starts, Sewanee sophomore goalkeeper Nathan Vanhoeve (Richmond, Ky.) collected two shutouts and allowed just one goal in three contests last week with 18 saves in all. Vanhoeve collected nine saves in a 2-0 win over Covenant, four in a 0-0 draw with Berry, then allowed one goal on six shots faced on goal against No. 18 Emory in a 1-0 loss.
WOMEN’S SOCCER: Cumberland junior midfielder Brenna Swiger (Franklin, Tenn.) opened Mid-South Conference play with an exclamation point as she scored five goals and had an assist on another in the Phoenix’s 13-0 victory over Freed-Hardeman. She also had an assist in Cumberland’s 2-1 victory over Missouri Baptist to give her 12 points on the week. Swiger ranks second in the NAIA with 12 goals, third in assists with eight and second in points with 12.
VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee State senior opposite hitter Jayla Holcombe (Belleville, Ill.) was dominant on offense and defense for the Tigers on Friday and Saturday as she led TSU to a pair of 3-2 victories over Tennessee Tech to open Ohio Valley Conference play. For the weekend, Holcombe recorded 41 kills with a .262 hitting percentage, while also recording nine blocks. She had 49.5 total points in the two matches for the defending OVC tournament champions.
2023-24 TSWA College Sports Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
8/29 | Offensive: A.J. Swann (Vanderbilt), Defensive: De’Rickey Wright (Vanderbilt)
9/5 | Offensive: Joe Milton III (Tennessee), Defensive: Jake Cottle (Carson-Newman)
9/12 | Offensive: Sam Franklin (UT Martin), Defensive: Aaron Beasley (Tennessee)
9/19 | Offensive: Kinkead Dent (UT Martin), Defensive: Sam Brumfield (Middle Tennessee)
9/26 | Offensive: Matthew Palazzo (Tusculum), Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
MEN’S SOCCER
8/29 | Brock Kiper (Belmont)
9/5 | Malachi Jones (Lipscomb)
9/12 | Tyrese Spicer (Lipscomb)
9/19 | Ploutarchos Alonefti (Lipscomb)
9/26 | Nathan Vanhoeve (Sewanee)
WOMEN’S SOCCER
8/29 | Eleanor Gough (Middle Tennessee)
9/5 | Caroline Richvalsky (Chattanooga)
9/12 | Kelli Beiler (Lipscomb)
9/19 | Kylene Monaghan (Sewanee)
9/26 | Brenna Swiger (Cumberland)
VOLLEYBALL
8/29 | Laure Jansen (Middle Tennessee)
9/5 | Mikayla Powell (Austin Peay)
9/12 | Taylor Eisert (Middle Tennessee)
9/19 | Emma Titus (Trevecca)
9/26 | Jayla Holcombe (Tennessee State)