General | 10/6/2025 1:15:00 PM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Four St. John Fisher University student-athletes have earned weekly honors from the Empire 8 Conference.
Jack Tanoory (Sophomore, Football) – Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week
Tanoory totaled a career-high 14 tackles, including 13 solo stops, and made perhaps the most pivotal play in the Cardinals' 31-24 upset of SUNY Brockport in the Courage Bowl on Saturday at Growney Stadium.
With the teams tied at 21 in the fourth quarter, Brockport appeared ticketed to take the lead with less than 10 minutes remaining. Quarterback Ben Gocella fired a quick screen pass to receiver Sal Weller, who made a defender miss and had nobody between him and the end zone. Tanoory, who blitzed Gocella from his linebacker position on the play, sprinted from the opposite 12-yard line and caught Weller just in time, knocking the ball out of his hands as he neared the goal line. The ball bounced through the end zone, which resulted in a touchback, allowing Fisher's offense to take over at its 20.
The Cardinals' offense drove 73 yards on 13 plays and took a 24-21 lead with 1:56 left on Dominik Greco's 24-yard field goal. They soon after outlasted Brockport in overtime to secure their first Courage Bowl win in nine years.
This marks Tanoory's first time earning E8 weekly honors. He's the second Fisher player to do so this season, joining junior safety Timothy Vanderbrink, who's earned Defensive Player of the Week honors twice.
Parker Stusek (Freshman, Men's Soccer) – Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Stusek recorded the first two shutouts of his collegiate career last week as Fisher beat Alfred 1-0 and played Russell Sage to a scoreless draw.
Stusek made four saves in the Cardinals' win, their first of the season, over Alfred on Wednesday. He made eight stops, one shy of his season high, against Sage on Saturday.
Stusek is the first Fisher men's soccer player to earn an E8 weekly award this season.
Avery Byrnes (Senior, Women's Soccer) – Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week
Byrnes made six saves while earning a pair of shutout victories over Alfred and Russell Sage last week. She made four stops in the 1-0 road win at Alfred on Wednesday and two against Sage in a 3-0 win from Growney Stadium on Saturday. Byrnes hasn't allowed a goal in her last six appearances in net and has given up three total in 2025, the fewest in the E8.
Since their 3-2 loss to the University of Rochester on Sept. 16, the Cardinals have outscored their five opponents 14-0. They have won their last three contests and enter this week atop the E8 with a 5-0-1 mark in conference play, one point better than Brockport (15).
This marks the fourth time that Byrnes has earned E8 Defensive Player of the Week honors in her career.
Kalyna Dannenberg (Freshman, Women's Volleyball) – Empire 8 Rookie of the Week (x4)
Already a four-time winner of this E8 weekly accolade, Dannenberg had 21 kills, 16 digs, four service aces and two total blocks as the Cardinals pushed their winning streak to 17 with sweeps of SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo over the weekend. In all, she accounted for 26.5 points, averaging 4.3 points per set, while hitting .333.
Dannenberg had 11 kills and logged a team-best .476 hitting percentage against Brockport on Friday. She also amassed 11 digs as part of her fifth double-double of her spectacular rookie season.
