After being involved in three goals last week in the Beacons' win at Western Illinois, Valpo soccer freshman Kiara Desiderio (St. John, Ind./Hanover Central) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week.
 
Desiderio helped the Beacons level the match in the sixth minute, assisting on a goal by Martha Goddard (London, England/Alleyns School) to make it 1-1. Less than two minutes later, Desiderio put Valpo in front with what turned out to be the eventual match-winning goal, and in the 11^th minute, the freshman found the back of the net again to push the lead to 3-1 in an eventual 5-1 win.
 
Desiderio's brace was her second of the season and pushes her season goal total to five, tied for second in the MVC. The weekly award is her second of the season from the conference office, as she was previously named MVC Freshman of the Week Aug. 26. Desiderio becomes the first Valpo freshman to earn one of the non-freshman weekly awards from the MVC since Nikki Coryell was a two-time Defensive Player of the Week in the spring of 2021 as a rookie.