NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Samira Roper and Luisa Bella were named Tuesday as Red River Athletic Conference weekly award winners in women's soccer.
        Roper won RRAC Offensive Player of the Week, and Bella received Defensive Player of the Week for Aug. 25-31. Both won for the first time this season and the second time in their careers.
        Roper — a senior forward from Heredia, Costa Rica, and in her second year at XULA after transferring from two-year Eastern Florida State College — scored both goals in a 2-0 home victory against Mobile. Roper picked up where she left off last season, when she tied for 18th in the NAIA with 19 goals and was 25th with 44 points. Roper's 2024 Red River rankings: tied for first in goals and second in points.
        Bella, a junior from Bad Muenstereifel, Germany, was the winning goalkeeper against Mobile. She played all 90 minutes and produced three saves. The shutout was her fifth for XULA.
        Next for XULA (1-0) will be three consecutive road games against ranked NAIA opponents: Sept. 5 at No. 20 Life, Sept. 7 at No. 22 Georgia Gwinnett and Sept. 13 at No. 5 William Carey. The Gold Nuggets' next home game will be their Red River opener, 1 p.m. Sept. 25 against Texas College at Lafreniere Park in Metairie, La.



Photos of Samira Roper and Luisa Bella by Yamlak Tsega