FRISCO, Texas – SFA's Ella Morgan is the Southland Conference Women's Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Tuesday in conjunction with the All-Academic First and Second Teams.
Morgan earns her first selection to the all-academic first team in the SLC, touting a 3.89 GPA in general business. The junior defender piled up her accolades this season, earning SLC Defender of the Year, First Team All-SLC, All-Tournament Team and won the SLC's Defensive Player of the Week award twice (Oct. 15, Nov. 4).
Southland Conference All-Academic Teams are voted upon by the head coach, sports information director and an academic/compliance staff member from each school. Student-Athletes of the Year are voted upon by an awards committee which consists of one administrator from each member school. Voting for one’s own athletes is not permitted.
To be eligible for all-academic distinction, an athlete must hold a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average through the semester prior to the sport’s championship, completed at least one full academic semester at the nominating school prior to nomination, and participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s competitions during the most recently completed season. Student-Athlete of the Year nominees must have held at least a 3.50 GPA and have completed at least two years of athletic competition at the nominating school, including the current season.
First Team All-Conference athletes who meet all-academic nomination criteria are automatically named all-academic.
Women's Soccer All-Academic First Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
GPA |
Major |
| MF |
Alexa Huerta |
HCU |
Sr. |
Austin, Texas |
3.97 |
Kinesiology |
| GK |
Erica Defferding |
UIW |
So. |
Frisco, Texas |
3.68 |
Biology |
| F |
Sierra Wannamaker |
UIW |
Gr. |
San Antonio, Texas |
4.00 |
Business Administration |
| D |
Arely Alaniz |
Lamar |
Gr. |
Deer Park, Texas |
3.61 |
Exercise Science |
| F |
Taylor Spitzer |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Allen, Texas |
3.78 |
Strategic Communication |
| F |
Jayme Bailey |
SFA |
Sr. |
Wylie, Texas |
3.45 |
General Business |
| F |
Maddie Bowers |
SFA |
Gr. |
Lake Jackson, Texas |
4.00 |
Business Adminstration |
| MF |
Ava Shannon |
SFA |
So. |
Humble, Texas |
3.52 |
General Business |
| MF |
Brielle Buchanan |
SFA |
So. |
Celina, Texas |
4.00 |
Marketing |
| D |
Ella Morgan |
SFA |
Jr. |
McKinney, Texas |
3.89 |
General Business |
| D |
Avery Brandt |
SFA |
Sr. |
McKinney, Texas |
3.64 |
Kinesiology |
| D |
Hadley Williams |
SFA |
Gr. |
Prosper, Texas |
3.5 |
Business Administration |
| MF |
Hannah McCord |
Southeastern |
Gr. |
San Francisco, Calif. |
4.00 |
Sociology |
Women's Soccer All-Academic Second Team
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown |
GPA |
Major |
| MF |
Melissa Storey |
East Texas A&M |
Gr. |
Tyne and Wear, England |
3.66 |
Business Adminstration |
| F |
Olivia Rossman |
HCU |
So. |
San Ana Calif. |
3.89 |
Business Administration |
| D |
Ellie-Mai Sanford |
UIW |
Gr. |
Pontypool Wales |
4.00 |
Sport Management |
| MF |
Trinity Clark |
Lamar |
Gr. |
Austin, Texas |
3.74 |
University Studies |
| GK |
Jackie Kelly |
McNeese |
Sr. |
Benicia, Calif. |
3.79 |
Criminal Justice |
| D |
Alina Graf |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Achern, Germany |
4.00 |
Business Adminstration |
| GK |
Libe Banuelos |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Deusto Basque |
3.61 |
Biology |
| D |
Emma Pethel |
Northwestern State |
Fr. |
Canton, Ga. |
4.00 |
Psychology |
| D |
Jessica Spitzer |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Allen, Texas |
4.00 |
Biology |
| MF |
Cassidy Hoang |
SFA |
Jr. |
Sugar Land, Texas |
3.90 |
Biology |
| GK |
Sierra McCluer |
SFA |
Fr. |
Katy, Texas |
4.00 |
Biology |
| F |
Mai-Lisa Atis |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Jr. |
Miami, Fla. |
3.80 |
Computer Science |
| F |
Cilia Leal |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Fr. |
Plano, Texas |
4.0 |
Civil Engineering |