Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald
UVU players prepare to take the field before the exhibition game against BYU in Orem on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.
Utah Valley redshirt junior defender Haley Funn and junior goalkeeper Leah Wolf have been named the Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above WAC Women’s Soccer Players of the Week, as announced by the Western Athletic Conference on Tuesday.
Funn, a native of Great Falls, Virginia, earns Defensive Player of the Week honors after anchoring the Utah Valley defense in a historic 2-0 shutout victory over in-state rival and Big 12 opponent Utah. The Wolverines secured their first-ever win over the Utes in nine tries, with Funn playing a crucial role in keeping Utah off the scoreboard. Her leadership and defensive prowess helped UVU control 55% of the match’s possession, consistently making critical stops to protect the lead.
Wolf, hailing from Rochester Hills, Michigan, was named Goalkeeper of the Week after an outstanding performance between the posts. She secured the shutout win against Utah and played a pivotal second half in goal against No. 11 Utah State without conceding a goal. In total, Wolf played 135 minutes of flawless soccer, making 11 saves on the week.
Utah Valley continues road play this week, traveling to Davis, California to play UC Davis on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+
On the men’s side, Utah Valley swept all three of the UCU WAC Player of the Week awards, with Omar Yehya, Tom Dobek-Pietrowski, and Ben Williams earning recognition from the league. It is the first time in program history the team has won all the Player of the Week awards in a single week.
Yehya, a redshirt senior from Redlands, Calif., earned his first Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the Wolverines’ two wins last week at FAU and FGCU. Yehya contributed on all three of Utah Valley’s goals, assisting on Isaac Emojong’s game-winner on Thursday at FAU and netting a brace on Sunday at FGCU. Yehya is currently on a five-game point streak, with a goal contribution in each of the team’s games thus far. Yehya’s streak is the second-longest in program history, and the longest since Blake Frischknecht scored in seven straight games in 2019.
Dobek-Pietrowski, a graduate student from Düsseldorf, Germany, earned his second-straight Defensive Player of the Week honors and the third overall in his UVU career. Dobek-Pietrowski played all 180 minutes of the two games last week, and was instrumental in securing Utah Valley’s first back-to-back road shutouts since 2017.
Williams, a junior from Lehi, Utah, earned Goalkeeper of the Week honors after he picked up the first two clean sheets of his Division I career, including an impressive seven-save effort against FAU on Thursday. Williams’ seven saves were the most by a Wolverine since Joseph Wheelwright in 2021, and is tied for the sixth-most in a game in program history.
Utah Valley returns to action on Friday night at Clyde Field when the team hosts the Cal Poly Mustangs. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT, and the match will be streamed on ESPN+. Tickets are available at GoUVU.com/MSOCtix.
UVU baseball announces fall schedule
Utah Valley baseball head coach Nate Rasmussen has announced the 2024 fall schedule. The Wolverines will be at home four times in the fall.
Utah Valley will open the fall slate on Friday, September 20, against the College of Southern Idaho. The Eagles finished 2024 with a 31-25 overall record and 13-16 in the Scenic West Conference. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. MT.
The Wolverines will head north to Smith’s Ballpark on Oct. 12. Utah finished 2024 with a 33-22 record and finished 1-1 in the Pac-12 tournament but did not advance out of pool play.
The 2024 fall season will conclude with the three-game Wolverine World Series, an intrasquad series at UCCU Ballpark from Oct. 24-26.
UVU will look to first-year skipper Nate Rasmussen to build on the last two seasons, where the Wolverines finished at least .500. More information about the 2025 season will be announced in the winter months.
BYU to remember 9/11 with Tower Run
BYU Athletics will host a Tower Climb at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., to honor the lives lost in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Participants will climb 2,071 steps representing the 110 stories of the World Trade Center, paying tribute to the first responders who climbed those steps, sacrificing their lives to save others.
Firefighters, law enforcement, military and bomb squad are welcome to participate in uniform and gear. Weapons may only be carried by current law enforcement.
Photographs of fallen heroes will be displayed on the stadium video board. Participants are encouraged to pause briefly and read the names in recognition of their sacrifice.
No tickets are required for this event. Stadium gates will open at 6 p.m. Participants to enter through Gate 1 only. No additional spectators.
A waiver must be signed in order to participate. Click through below to fill out the waiver, or find them via QR code at the stadium.
Newsletter
