Dahmen Takes Top Honour as Newberry Sweep the SAC Awards Before Their Title Defence

Newberry have spent all season beating everyone in the South Atlantic Conference. On Thursday morning, the league handed them the individual prizes to match.

The SAC announced its 2026 All-Conference teams and major awards, and the headline is no surprise at all. Wibien Dahmen, Newberry’s senior forward, is the Offensive Player of the Year. She’s been the best attacker in the league all year and the numbers back it up: she led the SAC in scoring, with 14 goals and 35 points already banked by late October, three hat tricks to her name, and a week in late October where she scored six goals and set up another across two games. That was her third SAC Offensive Player of the Week honour of the season. Over the past two seasons she’s put up 31 goals, 17 assists and 79 points. Nobody in the conference scores like she does.

Dahmen isn’t the only Wolf on the list. Newberry put five players on the First Team, Dahmen joined by Parker Keeler, Payton Keeler, Amber Tozana and Finet Heemskerk, with Philine Kuipers and Kensley Harris on the Second Team. And head coach Hannah Dave was named Coach of the Year after guiding the Wolves to a perfect 12-0 league record and a 15-1 overall mark. They’re the defending champions, they’re hosting the tournament, and they’re the team everyone has to beat.

Belmont Abbey take the other two big prizes

Belmont Abbey didn’t leave empty-handed. Sarah Schumacher was named Defensive Player of the Year. She was twice the SAC Defensive Player of the Week this season, in September and again in October, anchoring a side that finished 12-4 and 10-2 in the league.

Her teammate Valerie De Bruin was named Freshman of the Year. De Bruin had already shown what she can do, taking SAC Offensive Player of the Week honours in early October, and she’s one of three Crusaders on the First Team alongside Schumacher and Isabella Hite. Belmont Abbey had eight players recognised across the two teams, more than anyone else, with five more on the Second Team.

Lander placed four, with Ollie Bond and Mickey Bond on the First Team. Coker’s Kelcie Gannon and Wingate’s Grace Gerner round out the First Team, and Converse’s Chelsy Bunse made it for a third time in her career and a second straight year on the First Team. Her teammates Autumn Kern and Cameran Huyett made the Second Team. Kern set a school record with seven defensive saves this season, four of them in a single game, and Huyett is tied for the team lead with five goals, three of them game-winners.

Straight into the semi-finals

There’s no time to enjoy the prizes. The SAC tournament starts on Friday at Newberry, and the draw has a sting in it for the award winners. Newberry meet Converse in the first semi-final at 2pm ET, midnight PKT, and Belmont Abbey play Lander at 5pm ET, 3am PKT on Saturday. The final is Sunday at 1pm ET, 11pm PKT, streamed on FloSports.

For our money, Newberry should win it. They’re at home, they’ve beaten everyone in this league already, and they’ve got the best player in it. But Belmont Abbey have the defensive player of the year and the freshman of the year, and a final between those two would be a proper game. Dahmen against Schumacher, with a title on the line, is exactly what this weekend is for.