Salisbury University Sea Gulls student-athletes Noah Blankensop, Elizabeth Gordon, Sophia Blaufuss and Layla Kent captured Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above Players of the Week honors for the week of Oct. 5-11, 2026. The awards, announced Oct. 13, recognized performances in men’s soccer, women’s volleyball and field hockey through the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference and State University of New York Athletic Conference.
Noah Blankensop Earns Men’s Soccer Honor
Noah Blankensop was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after producing two goals and an assist during the award period. His assist helped Salisbury University defeat Johns Hopkins, 2-1, on Oct. 7, and he scored both goals in the Sea Gulls’ 2-1 win over St. Mary’s (Md.) on Oct. 10.
The honor was Blankensop’s second career conference award and first of the season. The sophomore from Salisbury, Maryland, also recorded his first career two-goal game.
Elizabeth Gordon and Sophia Blaufuss Recognized in Women’s Volleyball
Elizabeth Gordon earned Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week honors after recording 21 kills and hitting .704 across Salisbury University’s wins over Stevenson and Susquehanna. She posted 10 kills without an error, eight blocks and a match-clinching ace in a 3-1 win over Stevenson before adding 11 kills in a 3-0 sweep of Susquehanna.
The award was Gordon’s second career honor and second of the season. Her .368 hitting percentage for the season was the best in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference.
Sophia Blaufuss received the conference’s Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week award after totaling 37 digs and eight assists across the two matches. She recorded 22 digs against Stevenson and 15 against Susquehanna while averaging 5.29 digs per set for the week.
Blaufuss collected her third career conference honor, all earned this season. She ranks third in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference in total digs with 251 and in digs per set with 4.05.
Layla Kent Delivers Seven Points in Field Hockey Win
Layla Kent was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference Field Hockey Offensive Athlete of the Week after recording a hat trick and an assist for seven points in Salisbury University’s 7-0 win over SUNY Oneonta on Oct. 11. Kent scored 53 seconds into the game and added goals in the 17th and 24th minutes.
Kent also assisted Tessa Gray’s goal in the 36th minute. The award was Kent’s second career honor and second of the season.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Salisbury University placed four student-athletes among the week’s conference honorees across three sports. Blankensop contributed to two men’s soccer wins, Gordon and Blaufuss delivered complementary performances in women’s volleyball, and Kent accounted for seven points in the field hockey victory.
Salisbury University is an NCAA Division III institution with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference and affiliate membership in the State University of New York Athletic Conference for field hockey.
Source: Original report
