Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. - The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced its 2024 Preseason All-SWAC Soccer team and individual award winners as voted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Offensive Player of the Year
Kendyl Terrell, a senior from Hattiesburg, MS., led Jackson State in every major statistical category this past regular season. She recorded a team leading 19 points with eight goals on 44 shots. Terrell led the team with 19 shots on goal and tied with teammate Kalia Uehara with three assists, and also led the team with three match winning goals. She played in 17 regular season matches while starting 14 with a total of 1,135 minutes played.
Defensive Player of the Year
Jailyn Ward, a senior psychology major from Kitchener, Ontario, made 15 appearances for Alcorn State this past season. She was a key contributor for the Braves defensively. Offensively she recorded four goals on the season to go along with one assist.
Midfielder of the Year
Aria Whitney, a kinesiology graduate student from Austin, TX., was one of the leaders of the GSU soccer team, making numerous plays on the offensive and defensive sides of the field. She played in all 20 regular season games, scoring four goals and dishing out five assists. Defensively, she was a force, helping the Tigers hold nine opponents scoreless while ranking No. 2 in goals allowed (24).
Goalkeeper of the Year
Sydney Bellamy, a senior majoring in biology from Pembroke Pines, FL., was a key contributor to the Southern Jaguars soccer team that completed regular season competition with a 5-1-3 league mark. The Jaguars claimed the No. 3 seed in the 2023 SWAC Soccer Tournament in part due to the significant contribution of Bellamy inside the net. She tallied 76 saves while logging 1,421 minutes of action.
All-SWAC First Team
Defender: Adrianna Pratt, Grambling State
Defender: Victoria Mealing, Alabama A&M
Defender: Kaylen Jankans, Grambling State
Forward: Kendyl Terrell, Jackson State
Forward: Iyanah Hicks, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Forward: Isabella Dillow, Texas Southern
Midfielder: Aria Whitney, Grambling State
Midfielder: Genesis Hernandez, Mississippi Valley State
Midfielder: Gia Johnson, Southern
Midfielder: Tori Thomas, Southern
Goalkeeper: Sydney Bellamy, Southern
All-SWAC Second Team
Defender: Jailyn Ward, Alcorn State
Defender: Kalia Uehara, Jackson State
Defender: Kensley Simmons, Alabama State
Forward: Sophia Lezizidis, Grambling State
Forward: Kayla Reed, Grambling State
Forward: Mya Sheridan, Prairie View A&M
Midfielder: Victoria Pucci, Texas Southern
Midfielder: Liliane Baez, Texas Southern
Midfielder: Brooke Gonzalez, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Midfielder: Karime Antonio-Lopez, Jackson State
Goalkeeper: Madison Covey-Taylor, Grambling State
