NEW ORLEANS – Georgia State junior forward Aaliyah Faddoul and Troy junior goalkeeper Taylor Richards garnered Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Week accolades following the 2025 season’s fifth week of competition.
Faddoul earns Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week honors for the third time in her career and first since accomplishing the feat twice as a freshman in 2023, as Richards corrals the first Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week nod for Troy since former goalkeeper Haleigh Mercer on Oct. 8, 2019.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Aaliyah Faddoul, Georgia State
(Jr. | F | Ontario, Canada)
Faddoul turned in a dominant performance with two goals, including the eventual game-winner, to lead the Panthers to a 4-2 victory over Southern Miss (9/14) in the team’s Sun Belt opener. She scored in the 50th and 84th minutes while putting six shots on goal in eight attempts. Faddoul also tallied three shots and one shot on goal in a 1-1 draw at Wofford (9/11).
Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Taylor Richards, Troy
(Jr. | GK | Plano, Texas)
Richards registered a .900 save percentage with nine saves in an unbeaten week for the Trojans. In her best performance of the week, Richards recorded a career-best eight saves in a scoreless draw at Arkansas State (9/14) in the team’s first conference of the match to secure her third shutout of the season which is tied for the league lead. The eight stops were also the most in a game by a Sun Belt goalkeeper this season. Richards also earned a victory in Troy’s 3-1 road win at Stetson (9/11) earlier in the week.
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Ellie Garrison, M, App State
Week 2 – Geovanna Souza, F, Marshall
Week 3 – Andrea Iljkic, F, South Alabama
Week 4 – Riley Mullen, M, Old Dominion
Week 5 – Aaliyah Faddoul, F, Georgia State
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Selma Rajakangas, D, James Madison
Week 2 – Ashlynn Kulha, D, Old Dominion
Week 3 – Jordan Yang, D, James Madison
Week 4 – Libby Holmes, D, ULM
Week 5 – Taylor Richards, GK, Troy