Football | 8/31/2026 9:08:00 AM

ERIE, Pa. – Gannon Athletics has named football standout Donell Mason (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) and volleyball sophomore Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) as its Athletes of the Week following standout performances during the opening weekend of the 2026-27 season.

Mason opened the football season with a big performance on Saturday at Davenport, hauling in eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 15.9 yards per reception and broke free for a game-long 54-yard catch while finishing with 129 all-purpose yards.

The performance also featured a career milestone for Mason, who surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards during the contest. The senior became just the fourth Golden Knight in program history to reach the 2,000-yard mark. His touchdown reception was the 13th of his Gannon career.

Williams helped lead No. 23 Gannon volleyball through a challenging three-match weekend at the Cedarville Invitational. The sophomore paced the Golden Knights with 48 kills over 13 sets, averaging 3.69 kills per set, while also posting six service aces and a team-high 57 points (4.38 per set). She contributed across the floor with 36 digs and six total blocks.

Gannon finished the weekend 1-2 against nationally-ranked competition, with the highlight coming in a five-set comeback victory over tournament host Cedarville. The victory avenged the Golden Knights' four-set loss to the Yellow Jackets last season.

Mason and the Golden Knights return to action on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Shepherd, while Williams and the volleyball team return home to compete in the Gannon Invitational on Sept. 4-5.
 
Week 1 (8/31/2026)
Donell Mason (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) (Football)
Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) (Volleyball)