Zyga, Hughes named U.S. Army Scholar-Athletes of the Week
Sept. 25, 2007
Indianapolis -
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Loyola University Chicago senior Markian Zyga (men's soccer) and Valparaiso University senior Sara Hughes (women's volleyball) have been named the U.S. Army Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Week, League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced Tuesday (Sept. 25).
Zyga assisted the Rambler soccer team as it went 2-0 and won the San Diego Adidas Soccer Classic last weekend. He also scored the match-winning goal in Loyola's 1-0 victory at San Diego on Sunday (Sept. 23).
Academically, Zyga touts a 3.87 grade-point average as a finance major. He has received academic recognition as a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll and as a two-time U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week in 2006. Last year, Zyga also was a 2006 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District V team selection.
Hughes dished out 56 assists in Valpo's victory over University of Illinois at Chicago on Friday (Sept. 21) and registered her fourth double-double of the season with 45 assists and a season-best 16 digs in a three-game sweep of Loyola on Saturday (Sept. 22). She currently ranks second in the Horizon League in assists per game with 10.94, and has led the Valpo offense to a league-best .258 hitting percentage. In 46 of her last 48 matches, Hughes has reached double digits in assists.
In the classroom, Hughes maintains a 3.7 grade-point average as a math and secondary education major. In the Mid-Continent Conference, she was a two-time member of the All-Academic team as well as the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence. Hughes has helped Valpo receive the AVCA team academic award each of the last three years, and is part of a Crusader squad that has been ranked ninth and 10th and in the nation during the two previous seasons.
The Horizon League instituted the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards as a way to recognize outstanding academic and athletic achievement by its student-athletes. To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or better (on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution and passed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours, and perform well during the week's competition. Winners are selected by a group of League faculty athletic representatives, from nominations provided by sports information directors.
OTHER MALE NOMINEES:
Phil Orno, Cleveland State (tennis, sophomore, 3.59, accounting) was perfect at the Toledo Invitational last weekend, as he went 3-0 in singles matches and teamed up with Ryan Hamning to sweep their three doubles matches, helping CSU to a second-place finish.
Tyler Rosenberg, Green Bay (soccer, junior, 3.395, business administration) was part of the Green Bay defense that posted back-to-back shutouts last week over regionally-ranked Wisconsin on Thursday (Sept. 20) and Western Michigan on Sunday (Sept. 23). Rosenberg played a full 110 minutes in the overtime match with Wisconsin, notching three shots on goal. He is currently fourth on the team in scoring with two goals and an assist for five points.
Alex Lau, Valparaiso (tennis, junior, 3.58, electrical engineering) finished fourth at the Bradley Invitational in the Singles A Flight, winning an opening round match in three sets. He also partnered with teammate Tom Litscher to finish third in the Doubles B Flight, winning two matches (8-3) and falling in the semifinals (9-7).
OTHER FEMALE NOMINEES:
Alexis Korovich, Cleveland State (volleyball, sophomore, 3.69, criminology) led the Vikings to a 3-1 win at Youngstown State on Friday (Sept. 21) as she notched her team-leading seventh double-double of the season, including her third straight. She finished with a season-high-tying 17 kills, 14 digs, two blocks and an ace.
Liesl Tesch, Green Bay (volleyball, junior, 3.333, communications) led the Phoenix in kills (61), aces (7) and total points (71.0) last week. She hit an amazing .581 with 20 kills and just two errors on 31 swings in Green Bay's victory over Wright State on Friday, and recorded a career-high 25 kills at UIC on Saturday (Sept. 22), which was the 10th-highest total ever by a Green Bay player in a five-game match.
Cynthia Morote-Ariza, Loyola (soccer, sophomore, 3.40, clinical psychology) tallied two goals and a pair of assists as Loyola went 2-0 last week. She scored both goals and added an assist in a 3-2 win over Green Bay on Friday, while adding another assist in a 2-0 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sunday.
Erin Kane, Milwaukee (soccer, junior, 3.352, pre-veterinary) posted two shutouts over in-state foes last weeked, leading the Panthers to a 1-0-1 record. Against #24 Marquette on Sunday, Kane made seven saves to preserve a shutout through two overtimes in a scoreless draw, earning her third career shutout of a nationally ranked opponent. In a 1-0 win over Wisconsin on Friday, Kane made three saves.
PREVIOUS U.S. ARMY SCHOLAR-ATHLETES:
Aug. 28Nina Inic (Butler, volleyball)
Sept. 5Ryan Miller (Green Bay, cross country); Liz Fazio (Cleveland State, volleyball)
Sept. 11Chris Honig (Valparaiso, cross country); Katarina Hanackova (UIC, volleyball)
Sept. 18Malcolm DeBaun (Loyola, soccer); Betty Slinger (Green Bay, volleyball)
