Sanabria Earns First UAC Defensive Player of the Week Honor

8/17/2026 3:08:00 PM

By: Kyle Ruth

CARROLLTON, Ga.- Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Sanabria earned the first United Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week award of the 2026 season following a strong opening week between the posts for the Wolves.

Sanabria opened the season with a record-setting performance against Jacksonville State, making 12 saves in UWG's 1-1 draw. The 12 saves marked the most by a West Georgia goalkeeper in a season opener during the program's Division I era. Jacksonville State recorded 20 shots and 13 shots on goal, with Sanabria making nine of her 12 saves in the second half to help the Wolves preserve the draw.

She followed that performance with another 12-save outing against Mercer in UWG's home opener. The Bears recorded 25 shots and 13 shots on goal, but Sanabria kept Mercer to just one goal as the Wolves fell 1-0.

With 12 saves in each of UWG's first two matches, Sanabria became the first Wolves goalkeeper since Jackie Donaldson in 2018 to record back-to-back double-digit save performances. Donaldson recorded 16 saves against Georgia College before making 10 saves against Montevallo that season.

Sanabria now leads the UAC with 24 saves, while her .923 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average rank among the conference's best through the opening week. Sanabria has played all 180 minutes in the opening two matches and faced 45 shots, including 26 on target.

The strong start continues Sanabria's impressive career after she recorded 116 saves as a freshman in 2025, the third-most in a single season in program history and second-most by a freshman. She also posted a .768 save percentage, the best by a UWG goalkeeper during the Division I era.

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