GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Virginia junior forward Alexa Spaanstra has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and headlines the All-ACC Academic Team, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Spaanstra, a psychology major, was tabbed a First-Team All-ACC selection and a First-Team United Soccer Coaches All-Region honoree. A standout student in the classroom, she was one of five ACC student-athletes to claim United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America honors, earning a spot on the second team.
Hailing from Brighton, Michigan, Spaanstra finished the year with 10 goals to rank fourth in the conference and 16th nationally. Additionally, she tallied four game-winning goals to tie for the league lead, including two in the NCAA Tournament to lead Virginia to the NCAA Women’s Soccer College Cup. Spaanstra ended the season with 22 points, fifth most in the ACC.
The Cavaliers junior forward started all 18 matches she played and was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List at the start of the spring season.
Spaanstra joined teammates Laurel Ivory and Rebecca Jarrett, Duke’s Delaney Graham, Florida State’s Malia Berkely and Gabby Carle, Louisville’s Gabby Kouzelos, North Carolina’s Rachel Jones and Brianna Pinto and NC State's Lulu Guttenberger in claiming All-ACC Academic Team honors for the third time in their careers. Twenty-one student-athletes earned the accolade for the second time.
A total of 25 student-athletes who earned All-ACC honors this season also secured spots on the academic team, highlighted by Florida State’s Berkely, who became the first player in ACC history to earn defensive player of the year honors in back-to-back years, and Virginia’s Lia Godfrey, the conference’s freshman of the year.
Additionally, 10 student-athletes on the All-ACC Freshman Team earned All-ACC Academic Team honors.
All 14 ACC women’s soccer programs are represented on the All-ACC Academic Team with Duke and Florida State leading all schools with 10 selections each, followed by Clemson and North Carolina with eight apiece. Virginia had seven honorees, while Louisville and Wake Forest each had six. NC State had five selections and Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse and Virginia Tech each placed four student-athletes on the team. Miami had three selections and Boston College had two.
The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in September of 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their careers, as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes all conference student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.
2020 ACC Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia, Jr., F, Psychology
2020 Women’s Soccer All-ACC Academic Team
Michela Agresti, Boston College, So., D, Psychology
Jenna Bike, Boston College, Gr., F, Nursing
Megan Bornkamp, Clemson, So., M, Pre Business
Caroline Conti, Clemson, So., M, Sport Communications
Renee Guion, Clemson, Jr., D, Graphic Communications @
Hensley Hancuff, Clemson, Jr., GK, Sport Communications
Hal Hershfelt, Clemson, So., M, Psychology @
Courtney Jones, Clemson, Gr., F, Counselor Education (Master’s)
Samantha Meredith, Clemson, So., F, Biological Science
Makenna Morris, Clemson, Fr., D, Pre Business
Tess Boade, Duke, Sr., F/M, International Comparative Studies
Caitlin Cosme, Duke, Sr., D, Psychology
Delaney Graham, Duke, Jr., D, Biology #
Maggie Graham, Duke, Fr., M, Undeclared
Mia Gyau, Duke, Sr., M/D, Evolutionary Anthropology
Ruthie Jones, Duke, So., GK, Psychology
Sophie Jones, Duke, So., M, Psychology @
Marykate McGuire, Duke, Jr., F, Political Science @
Taylor Mitchell, Duke, Sr., D, Psychology/Evolutionary Anthropology
Mackenzie Pluck, Duke, Jr., M, Psychology @
Malia Berkely, Florida State, Sr., D, Business Administration (Master’s) #
Jody Brown, Florida State, Fr., F, Media Communications Studies
Gabby Carle, Florida State, Sr., D, Exercise Physiology #
Kristina Lynch, Florida State, Jr., F, Biology @
Emily Madril, Florida State, Sr., D, Computer Science
Jenna Nighswonger, Florida State, Jr., M, Business – Finance @
Kirsten Pavlisko, Florida State, Sr., D, Psychology
Heather Payne, Florida State, So., F, Dietetics @
Cristina Roque, Florida State, So., GK, Business - Marketing
Kaitlyn Zipay, Florida State, So., F, Psychology
Morgan Bentley, Louisville, Fr., M, Business
Sarah Hernandez, Louisville, Jr., M, Criminal Justice
Gabby Kouzelos, Louisville, Sr., GK, Exercise Science #
Nadege L’Espernace, Louisville, Sr., M, Chemical Engineering
Delaney Snyder, Louisville, Jr., F, Sport Administration @
Maisie Whitsett, Louisville, Jr., M/F, Biology
Michaela Baker, Miami, Fr., M, Criminology & Psychology
Tia DuPont, Miami, Sr., M, Marketing @
Selena Fortich, Miami, Jr., D, Political Science & Criminology
Abby Allen, North Carolina, Fr., D, Exercise and Sport Science
Maycee Bell, North Carolina, So., D, Exercise and Sport Science @
Talia Dellaperuta, North Carolina, Fr., M/D, Undecided
Claudia Dickey, North Carolina, Jr., GK, Psychology
Aleigh Gambone, North Carolina, So., M/F, Business Administration
Rachel Jones, North Carolina, Sr., F/M, Public Policy #
Sam Meza, North Carolina, Fr., F/M, Exercise and Sport Science
Brianna Pinto, North Carolina, Jr., M, Business Administration #
Maria Echezarreta, NC State, So., GK, Sport Management
Lulu Guttenberger, NC State, Gr., D, Liberal Studies #
Leyah Hall-Robinson, NC State, So., F, Psychology
Jameese Joseph, NC State, So., F, Business Administration @
Toni Starova, NC State, Jr., M, Psychology
Cam Dyke, Notre Dame, Sr., M, Management Consulting
Eva Hurm, Notre Dame, Sr., F, Design @
Maddie Mercado, Notre Dame, So., M, Psychology
Kiki Van Zanten, Notre Dame, So., F, Marketing
Kate McKay, Pitt, Jr., D, Biological Sciences
Athalie Palomo, Pitt, So., D, Environmental Science
Amanda West, Pitt, So., F, Biological Science @
Emily Yaple, Pitt, So., M, Undeclared
Shannon Aviza, Syracuse, Sr., D, Information Management & Technology and Marketing Management
Kailee Coonan, Syracuse, Fr., M, Health & Exercise Science
Meghan Root, Syracuse, Jr., F, Public Relations @
Jenna Tivnan, Syracuse, Jr., D, Sport Management
Lia Godfrey, Virginia, Fr., M, Undeclared
Samar Guidry, Virginia, Fr., D, Undeclared
Laurel Ivory, Virginia, Sr., GK, Women, Gender and Sexuality #
Rebecca Jarrett, Virginia, Jr., F, American Studies #
Diana Ordonez, Virginia, So., F, Sociology
Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia, Jr., F, Psychology #
Taryn Torres, Virginia, Sr., M, Kinesiology @
Emily Gray, Virginia Tech, Jr., M, Sports Media & Analytics @
Karlie Johnson, Virginia Tech, Jr., F, Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise
Grace Sklopan, Virginia Tech, Jr., F, Public Relations
Emma Steigerwald, Virginia Tech, Jr., M, Marketing
Mia Albery, Wake Forest, Jr., D, Engineering
Hannah Betfort, Wake Forest, Sr., D, Health & Exercise Science @
Giovanna DeMarco, Wake Forest, Jr., M, Business & Enterprise Management @
Sophie Faircloth, Wake Forest, Fr., M, Undeclared
Carrie McIntire, Wake Forest, Fr., F, Undeclared
Kaitlyn Parks, Wake Forest, So., GK, Studio Art
@ Two-time honoree
# Three-time honoree