LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (Sept. 1, 2025) – Senior defender Emma Tumbarello (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. / Rancho Cucamonga) of the Whittier College women's soccer team has been named SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Week, becoming Whittier's first weekly SCIAC recipient of the 2025-26 athletics season. Tumbarello is also the first non-goalie to earn defensive honors from the conference office.

The two-year captain anchored the Poets to a pair of shutout victories over Northwest Conference opponents Whitworth University and George Fox University to open the 2025 campaign. With Tumbarello leading by example, the Poets were stout defensively, conceding just three shots on net across both matches. Much of that success stemmed from Tumbarello's presence in the defensive midfield, where the senior was a constant disruptor.

Tumbarello and the Poets will have a chance to make it 3-0 when they host Stanton University on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.

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