General | 9/4/2023 3:27:00 PM

ROME, Ga.  The USA South Athletic Conference released its first "Athletes of the Week" for the 2023-24 season on Monday. Methodist had two student-athletes, Blake O'Brien and Yaneli Sanchez, that were among the list to be recognized.
 
O'Brien, a senior, was named Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after putting up a great defensive effort for the Monarchs this past weekend. She totaled 95 digs, 7.31 D/set, in three matches at the Maryville Labor Day Classic where Methodist went 1-2. In the first two matches against Huntingdon College and Maryville (Tenn.) College she recorded back-to-back 31 dig performances before registering a season-high 33 digs in the match versus Sewanee: University of the South (Tenn.).
 
Sanchez, a freshman, was named Women's Soccer Rookie of the Week following a week that saw the Monarchs go 1-1 at the Stockton Classic, in Galloway New Jersey. She made her collegiate debut against host Stockton University, a contest Methodist lost 1-0. Even though the team was held scoreless, Sanchez was able to fire off eight shots with seven of them reaching on net, both game-highs. In the 4-2 victory over Kean University, she scored her first three collegiate goals on nine shots, eight on goal, and recorded the first Monarch hat trick since 2017.