Aug. 21, 2012

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Missouri State women's soccer defender Nia Williams earned the first Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week award of the year, the league office announced Tuesday. A senior from Roeland Park, Kan., Williams helped the Bears' backline allow just a single goal over the two matches this past weekend.

Williams continued her impressive play and leadership in a pair of solid outings this weekend. She was part of a backline that allowed UALR just a single shot in Friday night's season-opening victory. Additionally, Williams added an assist, serving a perfectly placed corner kick onto the foot of Michelle Sommer for the Bears' second goal of the night on Friday. On Sunday, she had one of the Bears' two shots on goal against UNT. For the weekend, Williams helped the MSU defense allow just one goal and only five shots on net over the two matches.

The award is Williams' second career MVC Defensive Player of the Week honor, her first coming on Sept. 7, 2010. She was an All-MVC second team selection a year ago and has led Missouri State in assists each of the last two seasons. With her assist on Friday, Williams is tied for the third-most career assists (13) in program history.

Williams and the Bears will travel to Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Missouri State will return to Plaster Field to play Nebraska-Omaha next Friday (Aug. 24) at 6:00 p.m. before setting out on a four-game road swing beginning Sunday (Aug. 26) at Indiana.