LOGAN, Utah - Utah State soccer junior forward Sara Taylor has been named the America First Credit Union USU Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending Oct. 24. The award is voted on by a state-wide media panel.
With their sponsorship of the Student-Athlete of the Week, America First Credit Union donates funds directly to support student-athlete scholarships.
Taylor (Centerville, Utah) recorded five points in two games as Utah State went 2-0 in Mountain West play with a 2-1 win against Colorado State and a 3-0 win against Wyoming. The victories clinched a spot for the Aggies in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament, marking USU's first appearance since 2016. Against the Rams, Taylor scored the opening goal in the 16th minute after directing a low cross from sophomore defender Kylie Olsen into the back of the net. Taylor then assisted on the Aggies' opening goal against the Cowgirls, playing a cross to the feet of senior midfielder Kami Warner, who scored a mere 67 seconds into the match. Taylor then added a goal of her own against Wyoming, chipping a ball over the Cowgirls' keeper in the 62nd minute off of a pass from sophomore midfielder Alex Day. For the week, Taylor played in 132 minutes and recorded eight shots with six on goal, two goals and one assist.
Taylor and the Aggies close out their regular season at Boise State on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m.
Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer and on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
Nominees from other sports for USU Student-Athlete of the Week included:
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY – Freshman Garrett Woodhouse (Fairfax, Virginia) placed first last weekend at the Utah Open to lead No. 21 Utah State to a first-place finish. Woodhouse paced the field with a time of 18:44.6 to win the 6K race.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY – Sophomore Sammi Lee (Pleasant View, Utah) was the top Aggie finisher last week at the Utah Open as she placed third with a time of 18:48.9 in the 5K race. Lee helped No. 28 Utah State place second as a team.
FOOTBALL – Graduate senior placekicker Connor Coles (Bozeman, Montana) scored a career-high 14 points in Utah State's 26-24 Mountain West home win against Colorado State last weekend. Coles was a perfect 4-of-4 on field goals (45, 30, 42, 34) and 2-for-2 on extra points as both of his field goals made and attempted were career highs.
VOLLEYBALL – Senior outside hitter Kristy Frank (Kiev, Ukraine) led Utah State to a 2-0 Mountain West record last week with a 3-2 road win at Boise State and a 3-1 home win against Fresno State. Against the Broncos, Frank led the Aggies with 18 kills, hitting .268 (18-7-41). She also added seven digs and two blocks in the win. Against the Bulldogs, Frank tallied a team-high 17 kills, hitting .464 (17-4-28). She added eight digs, three blocks, two assists and one service ace in the win. On the week, Frank hit .348 (35-11-69), averaging 3.89 kills per set. She tallied 15 digs, five blocks, two assists and one ace on the week.
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