Five Cavaliers Earn All-ACC Honors
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –Five members of the No. 11 Virginia women’s soccer team (15-3) earned All-ACC honors in a vote of the league’s coaches, the conference office announced on Thursday (Nov. 1) afternoon.
Rebecca Jarrett (Washington Township, N.J.), Phoebe McClernon (West Chester, Pa.), Courtney Petersen (Canton, Mich.), Alexa Spaanstra (Brighton, Mich.) and Taryn Torres (Frisco, Texas) were all recognized with selection to one of the All-ACC teams.
McClernon was named an All-ACC Second Team selection, while Petersen, Spaanstra and Torres were named to the All-ACC Third Team. Jarrett and Spaanstra were both named to the ACC All-Freshman team.
McClernon helped anchor a Virginia defense that has posted eight shutouts this season and allowed more than one goal in only a single match this season. She has played a team-leading 1,477 minutes on the back line this season. McClernon was an All-ACC Third Team member a year ago.
Petersen has also been key in the defensive effort, despite missing the last four matches due to an injury sustained against Pittsburgh. She has four assists on the season, including assists in wins over Liberty, at No. 11 Penn State, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh. It is her first All-ACC honor since being selected to the All-Freshman team in 2015.
Torres earned a spot on the All-ACC Third Team for the second consecutive season. She has two goals and six assists this season for a total of 10 points. She ranks sixth in the ACC in assists per game and is tied for seventh in total assists this season. She assisted on game-winners against Wake Forest and at Louisville this season.
As a freshman, Spaanstra leads the squad in points with 20, is tied with Torres for the team lead with six assists and is second on the squad with seven goals scored. She ranks among the top 10 of all players in the ACC in points per game, total points, total assists and assists per game. She is tied for 11thoverall in total goals scored. She has assisted on four game-winning goals this season and hit the game-winner over Cincinnati in her first start.
Jarrett is third on the team in points with 14 and has tallied six goals this season, three of them game winners. She hit the game-winning goals for the Cavaliers at No. 11 Penn State, at No. 12 Duke and against Hofstra. Jarrett also has two assists on the season.
Offensive Player of the Year:Alessia Russo, So, F., North Carolina
Midfielder of the Year:Sam Coffey, So., M, Boston College
Defensive Player of the Year:Sam Staab, Sr., D, Clemson
Freshman of the Year:Yujie Zhao, Fr., M, Florida State
Coach of the Year:Anson Dorrance, North Carolina
First Team All-ACC
Sam Coffey, Sr., M, Boston College
Sam Staab, Sr., D, Clemson
Kayla McCoy, Sr., F, Duke
Deyna Castellanos, Jr., F, Florida State
Yujie Zhao, Fr., M, Florida State
Emina Ekic, So., M, Louisville
Emily Fox, So., D, North Carolina
Taylor Otto, R-So., M, North Carolina
Brianna Pinto, Fr., M, North Carolina
Alessia Russo, So., F, North Carolina
Amanda McGlynn, Jr., GK, Virginia Tech
Second Team All-ACC
Mariana Speckmaier, So., F, Clemson
Taylor Racioppi, Sr., F, Duke
Ella Stevens, Jr., M, Duke
Jaelin Howell, Fr., M, Florida State
Natalia Kuikka, Sr., D, Florida State
Phallon Tullis-Joyce, R-Sr., GK, Miami
Julia Ashley, Sr., D, North Carolina
Tziarra King, Jr., F, NC State
Ricci Walkling, Jr., M, NC State
Phoebe McClernon, Jr., D, Virginia
Bayley Feist, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Third Team All-ACC
Sandy MacIver, Jr, GK, Clemson
Miranda Weslake, R-Sr., F, Clemson
Malia Berkely, R-So., D, Florida State
Brooklynn Rivers, Jr., F, Louisville
Courtney Petersen, R-Jr., D, Virginia
Dorian Bailey, Sr., M, North Carolina
Karin Muya, Gr., F, Notre Dame
Alexa Spaanstra, Fr., F, Virginia
Taryn Torres, So., M, Virginia
Kelsey Irwin, R-Jr., D, Virginia Tech
Peyton Perea, Sr., M, Wake Forest
All-Freshman Team
Kayla Duran, Fr., D, Boston College
Delaney Graham, Fr., D, Duke
Sydney Simmons, Fr., M, Duke
Jaelin Howell, Fr., M, Florida State
Yujie Zhao, Fr., M, Florida State
Brianna Pinto, Fr., M, North Carolina
Rachel Jones, Fr., F, North Carolina
Rebecca Jarrett, Fr., F, Virginia
Alexa Spaanstra, Fr., F, Virginia
Emily Gray, Fr., M, Virginia Tech
Giovanna Demarco, Fr, M, Wake Forest