Five Brandywine Athletes Awarded Player Of The Week By PSUAC

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania -- Penn State Brandywine student-athletes claimed five-of-six Penn State University Athletic Conference player of the week awards during the final week of the regular season for fall sports.

Alyssa Abbonizio (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) was named women's soccer goalkeeper of the week, while Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) earned player of the week in women's soccer and Pat O'Neill (Morton, Pa./Ridley) was selected as the men's soccer goalkeeper of the week. Miranda Biondi (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown) and Molly Nichols (Lenni, Pa./Penncrest) swept the volleyball awards after leading Brandywine to its first-ever conference championship over the weekend.

Abbonizio, who was also named national keeper of the week by the USCAA, recorded her second shutout of the season by stopping all six shots she faced against Penn State Beaver on Sunday. Segich scored twice in the 4-0 victory, her second multi-score effort of the season, to aid in the triumph. Segich upped her goal total to six on the year, while Abbonizio collected her seventh win.

Brandywine will face either Beaver or Penn State Schuylkill in the PSUAC Championship this Sunday at University Park. The Lions own a 7-2-1 record during their first season of varsity competition.

O'Neill also claimed his third weekly honor from the PSUAC. During his only appearance of the week, O'Neill blanked Penn State York to help Brandywine earn a key conference victory and lock up the No. 1 seed in the PSUAC Tournament. O'Neill stopped five shots, recording his third shutout of the fall.

Brandywine, which is aiming for its third-straight PSUAC title, will face Penn State Greater Allegheny in the semifinals on Thursday at 3:00 pm.

Biondi and Nichols teamed to lead Brandywine to the first PSUAC volleyball crown in program history during the Lions' third consecutive appearance in the title match. Nichols produced 17 kills, including a game-high 12 against Penn State Fayette in the championship, along with seven digs and three blocks in two matches at Rec Hall.

Biondi, the PSUAC Player of the Year and first team all-conference performer, registered 65 assists and added 31 digs. She is the league's leader in assists per set at 7.82 and was named setter of the week for the sixth time this fall.

Brandywine will travel to Canton, N.Y., to compete in the USCAA Championship on the campus of SUNY Canton on Nov. 5-7.