LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola University claims two conference awards in the first week of weekly Golden State Athletic honors for the 2015-16 school year. Cat Newberry is named the GSAC Defensive Player of the Week for women's soccer while Alyssa Mason earns GSAC Attacker of the Week honors for volleyball.
 
It is the first weekly conference honor of Newberry's career, and it comes after a 1-0 week for the No. 22 Biola Women's Soccer team. The Eagles' defense, led by Newberry at center back, shut down NCAA Division II member CSU San Marcos for 99 minutes on Saturday evening.

Newberry played the entire 99 minutes as the game went into overtime before eventually ending with an Amanda Otto corner kick goal. She and the rest of the Eagles' back line was smothering the CSUSM attackers all night long and allowed zero shots to the Cougars during the overtime period.
 
Biola Women's Soccer improved to 3-0-1 with the victory and returns to the pitch this week with a match at Pomona-Pitzer.
 
This is Mason's second weekly conference honor. She last won the award for her performance the week leading up to Nov. 3, 2014.
 
She helped No. 2 Biola to a 3-0 week at The Master's College Labor Day Invite with a phenomenal attacking performance splitting time between her natural position of outside hitter and at middle blocker.
 
She led the team with 33 kills on 47 attack attempts through the Eagles' trio of 3-0 victories. She hit with remarkable consistency, posting a cumulative attack percentage of .596 over the three matches and making just five attacking errors.
 
Mason was also fantastic defensively by posting four solo blocks and four block assists, including one match with three solo blocks.
 
Biola Volleyball improved to 8-0 in the preseason with the wins on the week, and the team returns to action with home matches this Friday and Saturday against Arizona Christian and Hope International.
 
Student-athletes are nominated for weekly conference awards by the sports information director at their given institution. A committee of conference SIDs then vote for the weekly winners. Fall awards include men and women's soccer offensive and defensive player of the week and volleyball attacker, defender and setter of the week.