KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Senior goalkeeper Avery Sluss secured a pair of shutout wins last week making nine total saves to collect PrestoSports NAIA Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors to open the 2026 season.
In the season opener against No. 20 Science & Arts (Okla.) Sluss was locked in from the opening whistle. Playing a full 90 minutes at home, she blanked the visiting Drovers.
Two days later the same stellar performance was road worthy as she made seven saves in the 4-0 victory against Tennessee Southern. Her seven saves on the road against UTS also marked a major milestone for the goalkeeper as she reached 200 career saves.
Across two complete matches played, Sluss totaled nine saves and a pair of shutout wins. IWU is back in action on September 2nd at Rochester Christian (Mich.) with kick off set for 3 p.m. ET.
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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