Fighting Knight Trifecta Takes Home SSC Player of the Week Awards

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University’s student-athletes garnered three Athlete of the Week Awards from the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) on Monday. Volleyball’s Sonja Udovcic and Lauren Odom were selected Offensive and Defensive Athletes of the Week, respectively, while women’s soccer’s Anniina Sankoh earned Offensive Athlete of the Week.

Udovcic and Odom anchored a huge opening weekend of SSC play for the Blue and White as they helped Lynn defeat No. 16 Barry and No. 23 Palm Beach Atlantic, downing ranked teams in back-to-back matches for the first time in school history.

Udovcic posted a team-high 16 kills against Barry and then followed that with 17 kills versus PBA, racking up a double-double in each match. Hitting a combined .227 on the weekend, she posted 33 kills and 41 digs to lead the Blue and White attack. She currently has recorded a double-double in four straight matches and ranks first on the team with 106 total kills.

Odom was a defensive stalwart at the net, totaling 13.0 blocks in Lynn’s two matches. She currently sits tied-second in the SSC in blocks per set with 1.09 and leads the Blue and White with 38.0 combined blocks. The Tampa, Fla. native has also been solid offensively, ranking fourth in Division II with a .495 attack percentage.

The award for Udovcic is her third career honor while Odom picks up her second career selection. Udovcic was tabbed with the same accolade twice during the 2018 season, first on Aug. 27 and then again on Nov. 12. Odom’s first Defensive Athlete of the Week honor came on Nov. 6, 2017. 

Sankoh scored a combined 10 goals in the Fighting Knights’ three games and has now scored in four of Lynn’s six contests this season. The sophomore racked up a school-record six goals against Florida Memorial and then followed that performance with a hat-trick versus Johnson and Wales (FL). 

The Helsinki, Finland-native also scored the Blue and White’s equalizing goal in their SSC opener as Lynn managed a 1-1 tie with Eckerd, making it three straight games on the scoresheet. She currently leads the conference with 11 goals and 26 overall points.

Sankoh’s Athlete of the Week selection is the first of her career as a Fighting Knight and the first for the women’s soccer program since Donish Henry-Cole was tabbed with this honor on Oct. 30, 2017.

About the Fighting Knights
Lynn University’s national champion Fighting Knights compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball. The university’s 19 intercollegiate teams are home to nearly 300 student athletes. Lynn is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and winner of 25 national championships and 42 Sunshine State Conference titles. Representing spirit, service and strength, the Fighting Knights strive for greatness through athletic performance and academic excellence. For more information, visit: lynnfightingknights.com.

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