UNLV women’s soccer sweeps first Mountain West weekly awards

Former Coronado forward Michaela Morris (20) challenges Arbor View midfielder Breanna Larkin (8) during the Division I girls state soccer championship game at Heritage Park in Henderson Saturday, November 15, 2014. Morris is one of two UNLV women's soccer players to be awarded Mountain West players of the week Monday, Aug. 22, 2016. (Josh Holmberg/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Rebel’s forward Michaela Morris and defender Chidera Akubilo won the first Mountain West Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards of the season, the league announced Monday. (Mountain West Conference)

Rebel’s forward Michaela Morris and defender Chidera Akubilo won the first Mountain West Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards of the season, the league announced Monday.

The two helped contribute to UNLV’s 2-0 start over the weekend, with wins against Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Rebels scored 11 goals in the two games, played as part of the UTRGV Invitational in Edinburg, Texas, and allowed just one.

Morris, a redshirt freshman who missed her first season due to an injury, scored two goals, including the game-winner, against Fairleigh Dickinson. She also added two more in a 6-0 rout of Texas A&M, helping the Rebels score their most goals in a single game since 2013.

Akubuilo, a junior, helped anchor a back line that allowed 15 shots in the two matches and only one goal on a penalty kick.

Both Morris and Akubuilo were named a player of the week for the first time. Akubuilo is the first Rebels player to earned Defensive player of the week honors since October 2012.

UNLV’s next game is its home-opener against Northern Arizona on Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. at Peter Johann Memorial Stadium.