NEW ORLEANS – App State sophomore midfielder Ellie Garrison and James Madison freshman defender Selma Rajakangas have earned the first Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Week honors of the 2025 season.
 
Garrison earns her second Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week, accolade and first since the third week of the 2024 campaign, while Rajakangas becomes the first freshman to collect Defensive Player of the Week honors since Georgia Southern’s Claire Casey was recognized following the fourth week of last season.

Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Ellie Garrison, App State
(So. | M | Trinity, N.C.)
 
A Preseason All-Sun Belt Team selection, Garrison scored three goals, including two-game winners, leading the Mountaineers to a pair of wins over Western Carolina and Miami. In Thursday’s season opener on the road against the Catamounts, she scored on a penalty kick in the first half before her second tally broke a 2-2 tie late in the 89th minute of the 3-2 triumph. In App State’s home opener Sunday against the Hurricanes, Garrison converted a penalty kick in the 79th minute to break a scoreless tie, eventually leading to the program’s first win over an autonomy conference opponent since 2016 and first against an Atlantic Coast Conference foe.

Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Selma Rajakangas, James Madison
(Fr. | D | Orebro, Sweden)
 
Making her collegiate debut, Rajakangas recorded an assist and contributed to a dominant defensive effort by the Dukes’ back line in a 3-0, season-opening shutout win at NC State on Thursday evening. She earned another assist as part of a scoring sequence on James Madison’s first goal in an eventual 2-2 draw at home against preseason Conference USA favorite Liberty on Sunday evening.

2025 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Ellie Garrison, M, App State
 
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Selma Rajakangas, D, James Madison