ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference office announced on Tuesday afternoon that Penn State’s Aby Deverka was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪɢ ᴛᴇɴ ᴅᴇꜰᴇɴꜱɪᴠᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ#GameOn | #PSUFH pic.twitter.com/429jdO0Ivd
— Penn State Field Hockey (@PennStateFH) September 8, 2026
Deverka is the first Penn State field hockey player this season to earn a Big Ten weekly award and is her third Big Ten weekly honor after earning two Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in 2024. She is the first Penn State player to earn a Big Ten weekly accolade since Phia Gladieux was named in Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week in late September of 2024. Deverka is the first Nittany Lion to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week distinctions since Anouk Knuvers did so in October of 2023.
The junior goalkeeper has been extremely effective to start her 2026 campaign. In her four games in the cage, Deverka has registered a pair of clean sheets while registering a Big Ten-leading 19 saves. Against the Wildcats, she secured a clean sheet with four saves on four shots on goal against Villanova while facing three penalty corners. While facing the Delaware, Deverka recorded a season-high nine saves against 10 shots on goal against the Blue Hens with five penalty corners headed in her direction.
The Nittany Lions continue the team’s six-game home stretch to start the 2026 season by hosting the Princeton Tigers on Sunday, September 13 at 12 p.m. Fans can stream the contest on B1G+ and can attend all games played at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex at no cost.
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