VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State freshman kicker Matt Rolader and junior women's basketball standout Erin Whalen were named the Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week, announced Monday afternoon. 
 
Rolader, a native of Auburn, Ala., had the kick of his career helping the Blazers to a thrilling 47-44 overtime victory over then-No. 3 West Florida to win the Gulf South Conference championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA postseason.  He earned his third GSC Special Teams and third Freshman of the Week honor Monday as he went 6 for 6 on extra-points and tallied the 37-yard field goal in overtime for the winner.  This season he is 36 of 37 in extra-points and 8 of 10 in field goals for a team-high 60 points scored.
 
Whalen, a native of Cumming, Ga., opened the 2025-26 campaign right where she left off last season as she helped lead the Lady Blazers to a pair of important region wins this past weekend with a 66-58 win over Eckerd College and a 62-59 win over Palm Beach Atlantic.  Against PBA, Whalen hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left, breaking a 59-59 score.  
 
She registered a pair of double-doubles averaging 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in each game on 12 of 26 from the field, 4 of 7 from deep and 6 of 8 from the line.  Whalen finished with seven assists, one block and five steals. 
 
The Lady Blazers (2-0) host Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at The Complex, while the football team opens its 21^st trip to the NCAA postseason on Saturday at 1 p.m. at No. 13 Albany State in the first round of the playoffs.
 
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Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week
Oct. 20, 2025 – Eimy Negron Domenech (Volleyball) / Elad Sebbag (Men's Golf)
Oct. 27, 2025 – Kaitlyn Scherer (Women's Soccer) / Mark Robinson (Football)
Nov. 3, 2025 – Taylor Youmans (Women's Soccer) / Council Allen (Football)
Nov. 10, 2025 – Eimy Negron Domenech (Volleyball) / Corey Reddick, Jr. (Football)
Nov. 17, 2025 – Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Matt Rolader (Football)