DAHLONEGA – The No. 12 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's soccer had two players bring home the first Peach Belt Conference weekly awards of the 2025 season as announced by the league office Monday.

Senior forward Bailey Oetinger was named the PBC Player of the Week while junior defender Grace McGill earned the PBC Defensive Player of the Week honor.

This marks the fifth time in the last seven years that the Nighthawks have earned multiple PBC weekly honors in the same week. It's the first time since Sept. 25, 2017 that UNG was awarded the PBC Player and Defensive Player of the Week awards in the same week.

Oetinger was the only Nighthawk striker to find the back of the net multiple times in the opening week for UNG, despite the Nighthawks scoring 4+ goals in back-to-back games for the third time in the Kayley Ralton era. 

On Thursday, Oetinger opened the season with the first goal of the year for the Nighthawks after a beautiful touch to beat the Wingate keeper and give herself a wide open net just 12 minutes into the season. UNG went on to defeat the Bulldogs – a rematch from the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional – 4-3 in the game. 

On Saturday, Oetinger once again got the scoring started, this time in a road game against UNC Pembroke (UNCP). In the 11th minute, she received a pass just inside the box after a beautiful run and ripped a shot past the Braves keeper. Her goal opened the floodgates for four goals in the first half as the Nighthawks dominated the Braves in a 4-2 victory.

Monday marked Oetinger's first career PBC Player of the Week honor.

McGill was the only member of the back line to find the net last week for the 12th-ranked Nighthawks. In the season opener against Wingate, McGill scored the second goal of the game for the Nighthawks which gave her team a 2-1 lead at the time. She did so by receiving a pass in the near corner, dribbling towards the box, nutmegging her defender and then rifling a screamer just inside the far post for the goal.  

McGill then anchored a back line that dominated UNCP on the road Saturday. UNG scored four goals in the first half and dominated the shots category 23-11 for a 4-2 victory over the Braves.

This was also the first PBC weekly award of McGill's career.

Oetinger, McGill and the rest of the Nighthawks are back in action this week with a rivalry game on Wednesday. UNG will head to Young Harris to take on the Mountain Lions on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 4:30 p.m.