GREENVILLE, SC – Francis Marion University senior forward Volkan Celikkol and graduate student defender David Guevara were named the Conference Carolinas men's soccer Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week for the period of Oct. 5-11. It marks the third time this season that Guevara has secured the defensive honor.

Celikkol, a native of Ankara, Turkey, delivered assists on a pair of game-winning goals, as the #10-ranked Patriots posted a 2-0 record last week. On Wednesday night, he produced a stellar cross from the top-left corner of the box, which found teammate Lucas Vila, who slotted it into the net in the 41st minute in a 2-0 win over Mount Olive. Over the weekend, Celikkol made a near-replica play in the 76th minute as his cross found sophomore Byron Mitchell for the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win at Florida Tech.

Celikkol is tied for the Conference Carolinas lead with six assists.

A defender from Guayaquil, Ecuador, Guevara continues to anchor one of the top defensive units in NCAA Division II, playing all 180 minutes over two matches and allowing one goal. On Wednesday, he led a Patriot defense that limited the Trojans to just three total shots in a 2-0 shutout win in divisional competition. Against Florida Tech, Guevara and the backline held the Panthers to only four shots on goal and defended 12 corner kicks in a 2-1 road win in a critical Super Region 2 matchup.

The Patriots have swept the weekly conference awards three times in 2026.

Francis Marion returns to Hartzler Field on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to face rival Chowan University in an East Division matchup slated to start at 7 p.m. On Saturday (Oct. 17), the Patriots will play Ferrum College in divisional play at 2 p.m. and celebrate Senior Day.