General | 10/12/2026 1:00:00 PM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Three St. John Fisher University student-athletes have earned weekly honors from the Empire 8 Conference, the league office announced on Monday afternoon.
FOOTBALL
Ryan Whitney (Sr., QB) – Empire 8 Co-Offensive Player of the Week (x3 this season)
Whitney delivered one of the best rushing performances in St. John Fisher history on Saturday, leading the Cardinals to a 27-13 win over Hartwick at Growney Stadium.
Whitney carried the ball 15 times for a career-high 186 yards, the second-most in a game by a Fisher quarterback, with touchdown runs of 71 and 80 yards in the second half. He became the first player in program history to record two touchdown runs of 70-plus yards in a game.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Whitney also completed 22-of-34 passes (64.7%) for 273 yards and a touchdown, a 35-yard connection with senior wide receiver Jackson Cusack. Whitney has completed more than 60% of his passes in eight consecutive games dating back to the end of last season, the longest such streak in program history.
Whitney now has nine touchdown runs this season – tied for the most in the Empire 8 – and 15 for his career. He needs three more to pass Ryan Kramer (17 TD rushes as a QB) for the program record for touchdown runs by a quarterback.
Logan Laratta (Sr., K) – Empire Special Teams Player of the Week
Laratta made field goals of 37 and 31 yards in the second quarter of St. John Fisher's 27-13 home win over Hartwick on Saturday. This marks his second career E8 Special Teams Player of the Week honor.
Laratta has made all five of his kicks this season with a long of 40 yards. He is 8-of-8 since the end of last season, the longest stretch of successful field goals in program history.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Lydia Fraser (Jr., OH) – Empire 8 Co-Player of the Week (x3 this season)
Fraser led the Cardinals to another 3-0 week, as she slammed 39 kills while hitting .300, tallied seven service aces and totaled 46 points in all to help push the Cardinals' winning streak to seven matches. Fraser averaged 3.90 kills and 4.60 points per set.
The Cardinals began their week with a sweep of William Smith, which had been receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25. In that match, Fraser recorded 11 kills and a pair of aces for 13 total points.
In a 3-1 win over Russell Sage on Friday, she hammered 17 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, added two aces and amassed 17 digs. She closed out the week with 11 kills while hitting .368, along with three aces, for 14 total points in a sweep of Hartwick on Saturday.
