NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - Following the first weekend of competition for the 2023 fall season, three Wilmington University student-athletes performed well enough to earn Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Players of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
Manuela Restrepo (Medellin, Colombia) was named the CACC Player of the Week for women's soccer while reigning CACC Defensive Player of the Year Elly Collins (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) was named volleyball's Defensive Player of the Week and newcomer Cailyn Smiley (Montgomery, Ill.) earned CACC Volleyball Rookie of the Week honors.
Manuela Restrepo scored both goals of a 2-0 season-opener victory for the women's soccer team, as they defeated Adelphi on their home turf. It is just the second time the Wildcats ever beat the Panthers, and just the first time the Wildcats scored more than one goal against the perennial East Region Powers. Restrepo scored the opening goal in the 53rd minute and converted a penalty kick in the 69th minute to stamp the 2-0 shutout. She did not play in Saturday's game against Bentley, however.
Collins picked up right where she left off last season, leading the team and the CACC with 91 digs in four matches. Collins had a weekend's best 30 digs in a 3-set sweep over Roberts Wesleyan, which is tied for 5th best in program history for a 3-set match. She also had 26 digs against Mercyhurst, 20 against Millersville, and 15 against IUP, accumulating to a 5.69 per set average. Collins also had four aces against IUP, and one each against Roberts Wesleyan and Mercyhurst.
The freshman Smiley led the team with a 2.75 kills per set (44 total), 3.0 points per set (48.5 total), and second on the team with a 2.94 digs per set (47 total). She had a weekend high 13 kills in her collegiate debut at Millersville. She also had 12 kills against Roberts Wesleyan and 11 kills against Mercyhurst, contributing three double-doubles over the weekend with a best 16 digs against Mercyhurst.
Both women's soccer and volleyball teams make their home debut this weekend at the WU Athletics Complex. Volleyball hosts their annual Wildcat Regional Invitational on Friday and Saturday before women's soccer hosts Saint Anselm on Sunday.