By: Curtis Ford
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Grambling State University's
Aria Whitney was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Soccer Preseason Midfielder of the Year, announced by the conference on Monday morning.
In total, six Tigers earned SWAC preseason all-conference honors. Along with being named preseason Midfielder of the Year, Whitney landed first team recognition alongside teammates
Adrianna Pratt and
Kaylen Jankans.
Forwards Sophia Lezizdis and
Kayla Reed, along with goalkeeper
Madison Covey-Taylor, earned spots on the second team.
Whitney 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 24 games, scoring four goals and dishing out five assists, the second most in the SWAC. Defensively, she was a force, helping the Tigers hold 11 opponents scoreless and rank second in goals allowed.
Pratt was once again one of the elite defenders in the conference. Her speed and intensity paced a stingy GSU defense that was among the best in the SWAC.
Jankans was strong on defense for GSU during her freshman season, thwarting multiple scoring chances for opposing teams and helping lead the defense alongside Pratt. The Orange County, Calif. native was also an important piece of the offense, registering two assists.
Lezizidis, a sophomore from London, Ontario had a fantastic freshman season for the Tigers, scoring seven goals with three assists. She was the catalyst during GSU's run in the SWAC tournament, scoring four goals to securing the SWAC Tournament MVP award.
Reed was a key contributor to Grambling State's success last year. Reed racked up four goals, five assists and scored 13 points for the Tigers. She started 21-of-24 games played for GSU. One of her biggest goals of the season was a game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Louisiana Tech.
Covey-Taylor wrapped up her sophomore season as one of the best goalkeepers in the SWAC, finishing with a 14-3-2 record as the starter in route to a SWAC Title. She made 67 saves and allowed 0.94 goals per contest.
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