NEW ORLEANS – South Alabama forward Gabby Hollar was named the Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Year to highlight the 2023 Sun Belt Soccer Awards and All-Conference Teams, announced on Monday. The honors were voted upon by the league’s 14 head coaches.
South Alabama won its seventh Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship in 2023.
In addition to being named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Hollar became the second Jaguar in as many years to also earn the league’s Offensive Player of the Year honor as well as Newcomer of the Year. Hollar, a West Liberty, Ohio, native led the team and the Sun Belt in goals with 12, as six were netted in conference play. She also totaled five assists on the season. She leads the league in goals per game with .667 and total points with 29. The graduate student forward has appeared in all 18 games for South Alabama, starting four. Hollar ranks 17th in the nation with total goals and 14th in total points. She has scored nine of her 12 goals off the bench this season and has had one multi-goal game. Hollar has recorded points in 12 of South Alabama’s 18 games this season and acquired three game-winning goals this season.
South Alabama graduate defender Abby Jacobs was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year. The Pensacola, Fla., native has appeared in 15 games this season, starting 14. She has been on the field for eight of South Alabama’s 11 shutouts and has played all 90 minutes in nine matches this season. She has been a part of a Jaguar defense that has held opponents to just 90 shots and ranks second nationally in goal differential.
Old Dominion junior Emily Bredek was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native played in every single game for the Monarchs this season to date. She enters postseason play ranked fifth nationally in goals allowed average (0.38), seventh in shutouts (10) and 23rd in save percentage (.865). Her 10 shutouts set a school record for single season clean sheets and guided the Monarchs to a school record five clean sheets to start the season.
Georgia State forward Aaliyah Faddoul was chosen as the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. Faddoul, a Toronto, Ontario, native led the Sun Belt in assists (6) while ranking third in goals (7) and sixth in points (20). She was a two-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week and was mentioned by Top Drawer Soccer in the Top 100 Freshman. Faddoul opened her career with three goals and an assist in the season opener. She ended the year ranked in the top ten in the league for points with three goals and four assists in league play, which was tied for third. Faddoul was one of two players in the league to have three assists in a Sun Belt match.
South Alabama head coach Richard Moodie earned his second career Sun Belt Coach of the Year accolade. Moodie led the Jaguars to a 15-0-3 record and a 8-0-2 conference record in the regular season, the first time in program history South Alabama finished the regular season undefeated. Moodie and the Jaguars posted a 7-0-1 non-conference record, the best start to the season in program history. South Alabama has outscored opponents 50-7 this season and had not given up multiple goals in a game all season. The 2023 South Alabama team leads the Sun Belt in 11 categories, including total goals (50), scoring offense (2.78), total points, goal differential (43), GAA (.39), and shots on goal per game (8.28). The Jags are also 8th in the nation in total goals, 2nd in GAA, 12th in points per game (8.00), 9th in scoring offense and 2nd in goal differential.
The 2023 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Tournament will take place October 30-November 5 at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Ala.
2023 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Awards
Coach of the Year: Richard Moodie, South Alabama
Player of the Year: Gabby Hollar, F, South Alabama
Offensive Player of the Year: Gabby Hollar, F, South Alabama
Defensive Player of the Year: Abby Jacobs, D, South Alabama
Goalkeeper of the Year: Emily Bredek, GK, Old Dominion
Newcomer of the Year: Gabby Hollar, F, South Alabama
Freshman of the Year: Aaliyah Faddoul, F, Georgia State
First-Team All-Conference
F – Aaliyah Faddoul, Georgia State
F – Gabby Hollar, South Alabama
F – Suwaibatu Mohammed, James Madison
F – Simone Timm, Georgia Southern
M – Inge Konst, ULM
M – Ece Turkoglu, Old Dominion
M – Gracie Wilson, South Alabama
D – Sade Heinrichs, Georgia Southern
D – Abby Jacobs, South Alabama
D – Lucia Lobato, ULM
GK – Emily Bredek, Old Dominion
Second-Team All-Conference
F – Izzi Wood, App State
F – Jasmine Greene, South Alabama
F – Chiara Singarella, South Alabama
M – Irene Campo, South Alabama
M – Alba Fernandez Almagro, James Madison
M – Mara Grutkamp, ULM
D – Eva Diez Lois, Georgia State
D – Amber Fortenberry, South Alabama
D – Brittany Munson, James Madison
GK – Jaddah Foos, Georgia State
GK – Jaidy Gutierrez Campos, South Alabama