Kendall Turner (Huber Heights, OH/Wayne) and Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) have been named the Pioneer Athletes of the Week for the week of October 27th, 2025. 

Over the weekend, the Pioneers competed in the Hamilton College Tune-Up, where Melita won the individual race. Melita crossed the finish line at the 15:03.1 mark, 25 seconds faster than 2nd place and 39 seconds faster than 3rd. He held a 4:51 mile pace over the 5-kilometer course.

Melita and the Utica men's and women's cross country teams will compete at the Empire 8 Championships this coming Saturday in Rochester, New York. The event begins at 10:00 AM. 

The freshman Turner turned in a pair of double-digit kill outings last week, marking three times in the last four games with 10+ kills. On the week, the rookie managed to bring down 36 kills with a hitting percentage over .165, averaging 3.60 kills per set. Turner was also a key piece of the Pioneers' service rotation, posting five service aces. On defense, Turner managed a total of 40 digs, averaging just over four digs per set. Against Delhi, Turner's 14 kills and .306 hitting percentage with 12 digs propelled the Pioneers to a sweep over the Broncos. Against Nazareth, Turner slammed home a season-high 18 kills with a .244 hitting percentage with 19 digs.

Turner and the women's volleyball team will fight for a postseason berth this week in their final two home games. Those matchups will take place on Friday at 7:00 PM against Keuka and on