NEW ORLEANS – The 2023 season for Sun Belt Conference women’s soccer saw the league reach new heights with its first at-large bid to the postseason.
Through the first two weeks of the season, the Sun Belt portrayed the highest win-percentage of any conference nationally. Down the stretch of the season, the Sun Belt was the only non-autonomy conference in the country to feature six teams in the top 70 of the NCAA RPI. South Alabama, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Old Dominion, ULM and App State each had stellar seasons to finish within the top 75 in the RPI at the season’s end.
Old Dominion won its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament title as James Madison earned the league’s first at-large bid since it began sponsoring women’s soccer in 2000.
The Monarchs (13-3-5) earn the league’s automatic bid after winning their second consecutive Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Tournament Championship. Old Dominion advanced to its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance by traveling to Washington, D.C., to take on No. 3 seed Georgetown.
The Dukes (9-5-8) made it to the Sun Belt women’s soccer championship match for the second consecutive year. James Madison picked up an early 1-0 win over eventual MAC Tournament Champion Ohio in early September and earned a 0-0 tie with No. 8 RPI Georgetown the same week. The Dukes made their 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament by traveling to Columbia, S.C., to take on No. 7 seed South Carolina.
The accolades continued for women’s soccer as ten players were named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s All-Southeast Region team. The league featured three first team members, five second team members and two on the third team. Ece Turkoglu earned honorable mention All-America honors for the first time in the program’s history as well.
Academically, the women’s soccer teams around the league earned 54 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. From that pool, three student-athletes were named to the Academic All-America Team. Gracie Wilson from South Alabama was joined by Sade Heinrichs from Georgia Southern and teammate Jasmine Greene in earning the national academic honor.
The full honors for the year are listed below.
2023 NCAA Tournament Appearances
Old Dominion (Automatic Qualifier)
James Madison (At-Large)
2023 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s All-America
M | Ece Turkoglu, Old Dominion – Honorable Mention
2023 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s All-Southeast Region
D | Abby Jacobs, South Alabama | Pensacola, Fla. – First Team
D | Sade Heinrichs, Georgia Southern | Monchengladbach, Germany – First Team
M | Ece Turkoglu, Old Dominion | Istanbul, Turkey – First Team
GK | Emily Bredek, Old Dominion | Huntington Beach, Calif. – Second Team
D | Brittany Munson, James Madison | Merrick, N.Y. – Second Team
F | Gabby Hollar, South Alabama | West Liberty, Ohio – Second Team
F | Suwaibatu Mohammed, James Madison | Millbrook, N.Y. – Second Team
F | Izzi Wood, App State | Hickory, N.C. – Second Team
M | Gracie Wilson, South Alabama | Conyers, Ga. – Third Team
F | Chiara Singarella, South Alabama | Mendoza, Argentina – Third Team
2023 CSC Academic All-America
M | Gracie Wilson, South Alabama – Second Team
D | Sade Heinrichs, Georgia Southern – Third Team
F | Jasmine Greene, South Alabama – Third Team
2023 CSC Academic All-District
Kerry Eagleston, App State
Kaitlyn Little, App State
Shannon Studer, App State
Phoebe Harpole, Arkansas State
Olivia Luther, Arkansas State
Emma Riales, Arkansas State
Mckenzie Robinson, Arkansas State
Darby Stotts, Arkansas State
Aliyah Williamson, Arkansas State
Gianna Irungaray, Coastal Carolina
Maggie Mace, Coastal Carolina
Lou Martinet, Coastal Carolina
Casey O'Connor, Coastal Carolina
Taylor Tolson, Coastal Carolina
Julia Ziegenfuss, Coastal Carolina
Carley Borgelt, Georgia Southern
Smith Cathey, Georgia Southern
Sade Heinrichs, Georgia Southern
Isabel Kopp, Georgia Southern
Megan Przybysz, Georgia Southern
Simone Timm, Georgia Southern
Bree Barley, Georgia State
Ana Diaz, Georgia State
Alondra Nieves, Georgia State
Amanda Attanasi, James Madison
Alba Fernández Almagro, James Madison
Ellie Johnson, James Madison
Sammie Sipes, James Madison
Lexi Vanderlinden, James Madison
Alyssa Abbott, Louisiana
Tatum Beck, Louisiana
Megan Bradley, Louisiana
Mariella Stephens, Louisiana
Sisley Stephens, Louisiana
Hailly Waterhouse, Louisiana
Rhea Kijowski, Old Dominion
Thalia Morisi, Old Dominion
Gry Boe Thrysoe, Old Dominion
Anna Torslov, Old Dominion
Ece Turkoglu, Old Dominion
Megan Watts, Old Dominion
Amber Fortenberry, South Alabama
Jasmine Greene, South Alabama
Gabby Hollar, South Alabama
Abigail Jacobs, South Alabama
Gracie Wilson, South Alabama
Lily Erb, Texas State
Lucy Hart, Texas State
Chloe Jones, Texas State
Mady Soumare, Texas State
Evie Anderson, Troy
Alisa Detlefsen, Troy
Hallie Field, Troy
Jayme Haynes, Troy