NCAC Athletes of the Week | Sept. 29

North Coast Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week | September 29, 2026
 
Field Hockey - Emma Gebhart, Denison
Denison senior attacker Emma Gebhart (Newbury, NH/Concord-Carlisle) helped guide the Big Red to a 2-0 week with wins over Ohio Wesleyan (1-0 OT) and Centre (3-0). Against the Battling Bishops on Saturday, Gebhart scored the overtime winner on a player-up opportunity, deflecting in a pass from sophomore Lulu Keil (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest). She followed on Sunday by setting up the game-winning goal against the Colonels, while putting all five of her shots on frame.
 
Football (Offensive) - Brian Rager, Denison
Denison junior quarterback Brian Rager (Goodlettsville, TN/Liberty Creek) accounted for 250 yards of offense and two touchdowns in the Big Red's 21-14 comeback win over Ohio Wesleyan. With the game tied 7-7, Rager capped a 94-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds left in the third quarter, giving Denison its first lead of the game. He later threw a touchdown pass to classmate Graham Tonkonogy (Newton, MA/Newton South) for a 55-yard strike with 4:35 remaining, which stood as the eventual game-winner. Rager completed 14-of-24 passes for 209 yards without an interception and ran for 41 yards on 14 carries. It was the second time this season he has thrown and run for a score in the same game.
 
Football (Defensive) - Ivory Travers, John Carroll
John Carroll senior defensive end/linebacker Ivory Travers (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) led the Blue Streaks with seven tackles, 3.5 for loss and two sacks in a 49-3 win over Wittenberg. Travers made five solo stops as the defense held the Tigers to three points. The senior is now tied for the NCAC lead with 6.5 tackles for loss this season.
 
Men's Golf - Connor Gray, Kenyon
Kenyon junior Connor Gray (Winnetka, IL/New Trier) tied for seventh out of 90 golfers at the NCAA Division III Fall Preview, hosted by Christopher Newport at Kingsmill Resort's River Course, a 6,667-yard, par-71 layout. Gray opened with back-to-back four-under 67's, including six birdies in the second round, before closing with a 75 to finish at four-under 209. He totaled 12 birdies across the 54 holes and helped the Owls place second out of 18 teams.
 
Women's Golf - Julia Gulla, John Carroll
John Carroll sophomore Julia Gulla (Sagamore Hills, OH/Nordonia) placed second out of 70 golfers at the Guy and Jeanne Kuhn Memorial Invitational, hosted by Allegheny at The Country Club of Meadville, a 5,604-yard, par-72 layout. The sophomore opened with an even-par 72 to match the program's single-round record, playing the back nine without a bogey and making back-to-back birdies on No. 14 and 15. She closed with a 77 to finish at five-over 149, helping the Blue Streaks tie for third out of 13 teams. John Carroll also matched its program record for a single team round with a 324.
 
Men's Soccer - Robert Hillhouse, Wooster
Wooster senior forward Robert Hillhouse (Durham, NC/Durham Academy) had a foot in all four of the Fighting Scots' goals during a 2-0 week, totaling three goals and an assist. Hillhouse opened the week with his second multi-goal game of the season in Thursday's 3-2 win over Grove City. He scored Wooster's first two tallies, including the equalizer, and assisted on the eventual game-winner. He then provided the only score of Saturday's 1-0 victory over Capital, finishing unassisted for the game-winner. The senior put four of his six shots on target across the two matches.
 
Women's Soccer - Ella Palmer, Denison
Denison sophomore forward Ella Palmer (Calabasas, CA/Calabasas) scored all three of the Big Red's goals in a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Case Western, which is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Palmer converted each of her three shots for her first collegiate hat trick, including a bicycle-kick game-winner to complete the comeback victory. The sophomore helped Denison record a perfect 2-0 week after collecting a 2-0 win over Ohio Northern earlier in the week.
 
Volleyball - Abby Nulph, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan sophomore middle blocker Abby Nulph (West Jefferson, OH/West Jefferson) helped lead the Battling Bishops to a 2-0 week, hitting .595 with 24 kills and just two errors on 37 attacks. Nulph set season highs with 16 kills and six blocks in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Earlham, hitting .682 as OWU rallied from two sets down. She followed with eight kills, three blocks and a .467 attack percentage in Saturday's 3-0 sweep of John Carroll, the team's first conference win of the season. Across eight sets, Nulph averaged 3.00 kills and 1.13 blocks per set.
 
Milestones and Records (Sept. 21-27)
 
John Carroll, Field Hockey - The Blue Streaks earned the program's first NCAC win with a 4-0 victory over Washington & Jefferson on Saturday.
 
John Carroll, Men's Golf - The Blue Streaks set a program 36-hole record with a 15-under 561 (281-280) to win the Guy and Jeanne Kuhn Memorial Invitational.
 
Wabash, Football - Junior running back Cole Dickerson (Lancaster, OH/Lancaster) rushed for four touchdowns in Saturday's 34-7 win over Wooster, tying for the third-most rushing touchdowns in a single game in program history. He is currently tied for the second-most rushing touchdowns by an NCAA Division III player in a single game this season.
 
Wittenberg, Volleyball - Head coach Evelyn Miller earned her 150th win at Wittenberg with Saturday's 3-0 sweep of Denison.
 
Wooster, Volleyball - Sophomore outside hitter Caitlin Walsh-Knouff (Smithville, OH/Smithville) recorded a career-high 25 kills in Saturday's 3-1 win over Kenyon, one shy of tying the program's four-set record.

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