SPARTANBURG, S.C. –  Samford junior forward Sam De Luca was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week when the league released its weekly women's soccer awards Tuesday afternoon.
 
De Luca recorded the first hat trick of her Samford career in Friday night's 4-2 win over VMI. She had a hand in all four of Samford's goals as she assisted on the only goal she didn't score. De Luca scored goals in the sixth, 17th and 65th minutes. Her assist came on a goal by Mamie Carman in the 53rd minute.
 
The hat trick was the first for a Samford player since Kyla Reynolds scored three goals in a 6-1 win over Mercer in the SoCon Tournament on April 9, 2021.
 
For the season, De Luca leads the Southern Conference in goals with 11 and in points with 24. Her 11 goals are the most for a Samford player since 2017 when Jermaine Seoposenwe scored 13 goals. The school record for goals scored in a season is 16 by Seoposenwe in 2016.
 
Next up, Samford will play at Mercer on Oct. 16. The game is set for a 6 p.m. (CT) start from Macon, Ga.
 
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