NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana freshman forward Miku Kurihara and James Madison redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Sofia DeCerb earned Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Week honors following the season’s penultimate week of league matches.
Kurihara.becomes the second Ragin’ Cajun to earn Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week in as many weeks after teammate Carson Glenn received the honor on Oct. 21. DeCerb notches Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week recognition for the second time in her career and first since Sept. 17, 2024.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Miku Kurihara, Louisiana
(Fr. | F | Chigasaki, Japan)
Kurihara recorded the sixth hat trick in school history – and the first since 2015 – as part of an eight-point outburst in an 8-0 Sun Belt victory at Troy on Oct. 24 to help the Ragin’ Cajuns solidify a berth in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship. Kurihara added two assists to match the Louisiana’s program record of eight points in a single match last achieved by both Yazmin Montoya and Annika Schmidt in 2013.
Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Sofia DeCerb, James Madison
(R-So. | GK | Greensburg, Pa.)
DeCerb played the full 90 minutes and made three saves en route to her third shutout of the season and a 2-0 road victory for James Madison. Her efforts helped the Dukes keep Georgia State scoreless in a Sun Belt match for the first time this season and vault JMU into the lead in the East Division ahead of the regular season’s final week.
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Ellie Garrison, M, App State
Week 2 – Geovanna Souza, F, Marshall
Week 3 – Andrea Iljkic, F, South Alabama
Week 4 – Riley Mullen, M, Old Dominion
Week 5 – Aaliyah Faddoul, F, Georgia State
Week 6 – Skylar Blaise, F, ULM
Week 7 – Mady Soumare, F, Texas State
Week 8 – Skylar Blaise, F, ULM
Week 9 – Ginny Lackey, F, James Madison
Week 10 – Carson Glenn, F, Louisiana
Week 11 – Miku Kurihara, F, Louisiana
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Selma Rajakangas, D, James Madison
Week 2 – Ashlynn Kulha, D, Old Dominion
Week 3 – Jordan Yang, D, James Madison
Week 4 – Libby Holmes, D, ULM
Week 5 – Taylor Richards, GK, Troy
Week 6 – Brooklyn Escobar, GK, Texas State
Week 7 – Taylor Richards, GK, Troy
Week 8 – Gry Boe Thrysøe, M, Old Dominion
Week 9 – Kajsa Ekstrom, D, Marshall
Week 10 – Sierra Giorgio, GK, South Alabama
Week 11 – Sofia DeCerb, GK, James Madison