ROME, Ga. – For the third time in as many weeks, Salem soccer first-year Darilyn Nieto earned USA South Conference Rookie of the Week honors from the league office, which came in a formal announcement on Monday, September 19th.

Nieto became just the fourth player in conference history, dating back to the 2010 season, to receive USA South Conference Rookie of the Week accolades on three occasions in the same season and the second player to receive the honor in consecutive weeks.

Nieto joins Cassidy Reich (Piedmont), Payton Stuart (Ferrum) and Celia de Diego (Averett) as the only players to receive the honor at least three times in the same season. More specifically, Nieto and Reich are the only two players in league history to receive the distinction in consecutive weeks.

Reich claimed the honor six times during the course of the 2015 season, including a stretch of four straight weeks between September 21st and October 12th, where she received the honor. Stuart brought home the honors on September 26th, October 3rd and October 24th in 2016. In 2021, de Diego earned the award on September 6th, September 20th and October 4th for the Cougars.

Nieto received the USA South Rookie of the Week on September 19th due in large part to her four-goal performance in Salem's 4-1 victory over Agnes Scott on Sunday afternoon. Nieto's four-goal tied her alongside Sawyer Ferguson for second-most in a single-match in program history. Ferguson accomplished the feat on October 18, 2013 versus Judson. That was shortly after her teammate Tarryn Bundy had netted five goals against Wesleyan (Ga.) on September 28, 2013.

With four goals against the Scotties, Nieto also became the sixth different Salem first-year player to net double-digit goals in program history. The others include: