FARMINGTON, Utah (Nov. 10, 2025) – The Big Sky Conference announced its Player of the Week honors, presented by
JAMBAR, with football, volleyball, women's basketball, and men's basketball all in full swing.
Big Sky Football Players of the Week (Nov. 10, 2025)
Offensive Player of the Week: Rodney Hammond, Sacramento State (RB, Sr., Norfolk, Va.)
Rodney Hammond rushed for 191 yards on 17 carries, while scoring two touchdowns on the ground to pace Sacramento State in its 52-24 win over Portland State. Hammond’s day included touchdown runs of 87 and 41 yards, with the 87-yarder tying a school record. Hammond has now run for over 100 yards in five of his last six games and has scored nine touchdowns in those games. The senior running back also caught a pass for 29 yards and had a 20-yard kick return to finish the game with 240 all-purpose yards.
Defensive Player of the Week: Caden Dowler, Montana State (DB, Jr., Billings, Mont.)
Caden Dowler created two Bobcat takeaways that turned into touchdowns in Montana State’s 66-14 rout of Weber State on Saturday. The first turnover came after a Weber State runner gained 36 yards and Dowler chased him down to punch out the ball from behind. The next takeaway came the following drive, as Dowler picked off a pass near midfield and returned it 54 yards to set up another Bobcat touchdown. The interception was the second of Dowler's career, and the forced fumble was his first. Dowler also finished the game with seven tackles, three being solos, and a pass breakup in the MSU win.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Kolbe Katsis, Northern Arizona (KR, R-Sr., Owasso, Okla.)
Kolbe Katsis returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown in NAU's 49-10 win over Northern Colorado. His kick return was the first by a Lumberjack since 2017. After Northern Colorado scored a touchdown to trim NAU's lead to 21-10 right before the half, Katsis' kick return completely shifted the tide back in NAU's favor, giving NAU a 28-10 halftime lead and the Lumberjacks wound up scoring 28 unanswered points. He had 194 all-purpose yards in all in the win.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Football Player of the Week
Offense: Jake Schakel (EWU), Jordan Cooke (ISU), Michael Wortham (UM), Ty Pennington (NAU), Terence Loville (PSU), Samuel Gbatu Jr. (UCD)
Defense: Gabe Tahir (ISU), Kellen Detrick (UM), Slade Shufelt (PSU), Dylan Hampsten (SAC)
Special Teams: Gabriel Russo (ISU), Drew Deck (UM), Grant Meadors (SAC)
Big Sky Volleyball Players of the Week (Nov. 10, 2025)
Offensive Player of the Week: Victoria Marthaler, Sacramento State (OH, So., Albuquerque, N.M.)
Sophomore Victoria Marthaler had another big week in helping the Hornets to a 1-1 record. Sacramento State played two five setters at home against the other two best teams in the league, defeating Northern Arizona, 3-2, and falling to Northern Colorado, 3-2.
The outside hitter finished the week with 59 kills, good for an average of 5.90 kills per set. She also added three aces, and posted match highs in kills in both contests.
In the Hornets’ win over NAU on Thursday, she had 27 kills and three aces, and her kills were 10 more than any other player in the match. In the fifth set along, she notched five kills and hit .500. In the loss to Northern Colorado, Marthaler posted 32 kills (one shy of a career best), and the 32 kills were 17 more than any player from either team.
She continues to lead the Big Sky in overall kills per set (4.98) and conference only kills per set (5.96). In addition, she is seventh in the nation in kills per set, and eighth in the country in points per set (5.46).
Defensive Player of the Week: Paige Stepaniuk, Portland State (L, Jr., Ridgefield, Wash.)
Paige Stepaniuk helped lead the Vikings to a 3-1 upset win over Northern Colorado Thursday. Stepaniuk and the Viking defense held Northern Colorado to .151 hitting in the win. That was the Bears’ lowest hitting percentage since Montana held them to .103 hitting on Oct. 2. Stepaniuk led the Vikings with 18 digs to go with six assists in leading the Vikings to the win.
Stepaniuk followed up with a near-double-double Saturday against Northern Arizona, finishing with 26 digs and nine assists. Stepaniuk’s 26 digs came as part of a season-high 97 the Vikings had as a team. That was the most by the Vikings in a match since they had 105 against Idaho State on Oct. 12, 2019.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Volleyball Player of the Week
Offense: Delaney Russell (UM), Kylie Moran (NAU), Brynn Reines (UNC), Tyra Schaub (PSU), Rose Moore (WSU)
Defense: Alexis Batezel (UM), Melia Barlow (NAU), Bella LePore (UNC), Reese Ampi (SAC), Marly Pratt (WSU)
Big Sky Women's Basketball Player of the Week (Nov. 11, 2025)
TBA
Big Sky Men's Basketball Player of the Week (Nov. 11, 2025)
TBA
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