CASAREZ, DUFF GARNER TOP BIG SOUTH HONORS

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After helping lead the Radford women's soccer team to a pair of conference victories and a 3-0 league start, Jasmine Casarez earned Big South Attacking Player of the Week honors, while Hannah Duff was selected the Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.

The awards are the first for each player and the second and third for the Highlanders this season, joining Nelia Perez's Freshman honor. It is just the second time that Radford players have claimed both accolades in the same week since the conference began the separate recognitions. The other duo was Julie Ruh'e and Che' Brown in 2010.

Casarez is the first Attacking winner for the Highlanders since Britney Kendall in 2013, while Duff claimed RU's first Defensive honor since Katie McCormick in 2014.

Casarez scored four goals during the week with back-to-back multi-goal performances in the victories over UNC Asheville and Charleston Southern. In the Asheville game on Wednesday, the sophomore midfielder found the net twice within a four-minute span during the middle of the second half for her first career multi-goal game. The native of Moreno Valley, Calif., followed up on Saturday with two goals in the first half against Charleston Southern to put Radford in control. Casarez totaled nine shots in the two matches, putting seven of them on goal. She has found the net in each of the team's three conference wins and leads the Big South with seven tallies on the season.

Duff, meanwhile, led a pair of strong defensive performances as the Highlanders kept UNC Asheville off its home scoreboard for 88-plus minutes and then shut out a Charleston Southern attack that entered the match second in the conference in goals per game. The senior from Christiansburg logged all 90 minutes in each match, anchoring the backline that helped limit CSU to just six shots - its lowest total since its season opener - and just two attempts on goal. Duff is the lone Highlander to play every minute of all nine matches this season.

"Both Jasmine and Hannah had good games last week and need to stay consistent, but it was a great team effort in both games," Radford head coach Ben Sohrabi said.

First-place Radford is back in action at Cupp Stadium on Wednesday afternoon as it hosts Longwood at 4 p.m. in the first game of a soccer doubleheader.

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Players Mentioned

#28 Britney Kendall: F; 5' 5"; Junior; CYA Phoenix

#15 Jasmine Casarez: MF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; Legends FC

#4 Hannah Duff: D; 5' 4"; Senior; New River United

#32 Katie McCormick: GK; 5' 10"; Junior; Ottawa Fury FC

#8 Nelia Perez: F; 5' 2"; Freshman; Newport News FC, Chesapeake FC, Churchland SL

Players Mentioned

#28 Britney Kendall
: 5' 5"; Junior; CYA Phoenix
: F

#15 Jasmine Casarez
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Legends FC
: MF

#4 Hannah Duff
: 5' 4"; Senior; New River United
: D

#32 Katie McCormick
: 5' 10"; Junior; Ottawa Fury FC
: GK

#8 Nelia Perez
: 5' 2"; Freshman; Newport News FC, Chesapeake FC, Churchland SL
: F

Radford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned