IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference has announced the 2024 women’s soccer honors. Rice graduate student Leah Chancey was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, while Memphis sophomore Finley Lavin was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year.
 
A pair of South Florida juniors, Sadie Sider-Echenberg and Leire Herraez Gallach, were named the league’s Midfielder and Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively. Memphis freshman Ai Kitagawa was picked as The American’s Freshman of the Year, while the Rice coaching staff was voted by their peers as the Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Chancey was selected as the Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 22 points on nine goals and four assists. At one point in the season, Chancey scored in eight-consecutive matches.
 
Lavin helped lead the Tiger defense to only allowing four goals with six shutouts throughout conference play. Lavin joins Haylee Spray (2023) and Olivia Gauthier (2018) as Tigers who have earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
Sider-Echenberg scored five goals and added two assists for the Bulls in the regular season while also aiding a South Florida defense which allowed only three goals in conference play. She is the first Bull to win Midfielder of the Year since Andrea Hauksdottir won it in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019.
 
Herraez Gallach has recorded 10 shutouts during the season, including seven in league play. The junior ranks fifth in Division I with a 0.38 goals-against average. She is only the second Bull goalkeeper to be honored, joining Sydney Martinez in 2020.
 
Kitagawa is tied for sixth in the league with 16 points on six goals and four assists. It is the fifth time a Tiger has earned Rookie/Freshman of the Year.
 
Rice head coach Brian Lee and his staff helped lead the Owls to a 5-4-1 record and the No. 4 seed for the American Women’s Soccer Championship a year after securing one conference win and missing the conference championship.
 
Memphis earned the Team Fair Play Award for having the fewest fouls, yellow cards and red cards during conference play.
 
Offensive Player of the Year
Leah Chancey, Gr., M, Rice
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Finley Lavin, So., D, Memphis
 
Midfielder of the Year
Sadie Sider-Echenberg, Jr., South Florida
 
Goalkeeper of the Year
Leire Herraez Gallach, Jr., South Florida
 
Freshman of the Year
Ai Kitagawa, M/F, Memphis
 
Coaching Staff of the Year
Rice (Head Coach Brian Lee, Assistant Coaches Genessee Puntigam and Travis Curson, Goalkeeper Coach Bella Killgore)
 
Team Fair Play Award
Memphis
 
All-Conference First Team
Abbey Burns, Jr., M, UAB
Macey Bader, Sr., F, Charlotte
Sydney Smith, Gr., D, Charlotte
Sydney Schnell, Gr., F, East Carolina
Finley Lavin, So., D, Memphis
Momo Nakao, Sr., M, Memphis*
Rachel Roebuck, Gr., D/M/F, North Texas
Leah Chancey, Gr., M, Rice
Georgia Brown, Sr., D, South Florida
Leire Herraez Gallach, Jr., GK, South Florida
Sadie Sider-Echenberg, Jr., M, South Florida
 
All-Conference Second Team
Jette Zimmer, Jr., F, UAB
Abby Sowa, Sr., D, East Carolina
Jodi Smith, Sr., D, Florida Atlantic
Anna Hauer, So., F, Memphis
Ashley Henderson, So., F, Memphis
Anne-Valerie Seto, Sr., M, Memphis
Ai Kitagawa, Fr., M/F, Memphis
Faith Hutchins, Gr., GK, Rice
Anna Sutter, Sr., F, South Florida
Gentiana Fetaj, Jr., M, South Florida
Leah Diaz, So., F, Tulsa
 
All-Conference Third Team
Annabelle Abbott, M, East Carolina
Maeve English, Gr., GK, East Carolina
Juliana Viera, Jr., D, East Carolina
Michelle Horan, Jr., F, Florida Atlantic
Maddie Eskin, Gr., F, Memphis
Alexis Miller, So., M, North Texas
Claire Niedermeier, Fr., F, North Texas
Kat Lazor, Gr., D, Rice
Micahela Hill, So., F, South Florida
Phoebe Hollin, Sr., D, Temple
Sasjah Dade, Sr., D, UTSA
Blaine Schutte, Fr., F, Tulsa
 
All-Freshman Team
Louise Larsson, D, UAB
Reese Black, M, Charlotte
Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram, F, East Carolina
Ai Kitagawa, M/F, Memphis
Ella Bushko, D, North Texas
Claire Niedermeier, F, North Texas
Lilly Reuscher, D, Rice
Sophia Cabral, F, South Florida
Brooke Fabri, M, South Florida
Addy Johnson, F, UTSA
Aniya Facen, F, Tulsa
Blaine Schutte, F, Tulsa
 
* denotes unanimous selection