DALLAS – Conference USA announced Tuesday the 2022 C-USA Women’s Soccer Superlative Awards along with the league’s all-conference and all-freshman teams. North Texas forward Olivia Klein headlines the teams as the league’s Player of the Year, and the Mean Green lead the way with eight total honorees on the teams.
 
The fifth-year senior forward paced the conference with nine goals on the season and finished second in points (22), thanks to a trio of multi-point performances. Klein was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27 after being involved in all three of her team’s goals in a 3-0 victory over Middle Tennessee. She led a UNT attack that led the league in shots per game (18.44), points per game (6.89) and goals per game (2.22). Klein finishes her Mean Green career with 23 goals and 13 assists for a grand total of 59 points.
 
The remaining C-USA Superlative Awards were given to Rice forward Grace Collins (Offensive Player of the Year), UAB defender Asha Zuniga (Defensive Player of the Year), Florida Atlantic midfielder Gi Krstec (Midfielder of the Year), Rice goalkeeper Bella Killgore (Goalkeeper of the Year), LA Tech forward Flavie Dube (Freshman of the Year) and UAB’s Erica Demers (Coach of the Year).
 
Collins finished as the league leader in points (24), points per game (1.33), assists (eight) and game-winning goals (three) for the regular-season champion Owls. Named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Midseason Top 100, she scored or assisted on 16 of Rice’s 28 goals on the year. Collins matched the conference record with five assists in a win over UIW on Aug. 28, and she picked up national recognition from College Soccer News and the United Soccer Coaches in the week of Oct. 17 after netting all three goals in a pair of conference wins.
 
The Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Zuniga fulfilled her destiny at the other end of the season as the leader of a stout UAB defensive unit. A three-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, she logged more than 1,500 minutes on the Blazers’ back line that restricted opponents to 8.5 shots per game and a .465 shots on goal percentage this season. On the offensive end, Zuniga found the back of the net on four occasions, including three game-winners.
 
Krstec enjoyed a stellar final season for the Owls, scoring a career-high five goals and adding three assists for a career-high 13 points. A team captain and one of just four FAU student-athletes to start every game, she logged 1,443 of a possible 1,620 minutes in the Owls’ midfield. Krstec tied for the league lead with three game-winning goals and finished tied for second with 47 shots during the campaign. In C-USA action, her three assists were good for third in the conference.
 
Fresh off her league-record fourth consecutive Goalkeeper of the Week nod, Killgore adds to her laundry list of honors which includes five total weekly honors and nine career Player of the Week Awards, both of which are tied for the most in C-USA history. Killgore led the conference with 86 saves and eight shutouts, making her the first netminder in league history to amass 350 career saves, 45 wins and 25 shutouts. She also paced the league in shutouts (seven), save percentage (.942) and goals-against average (.300) in conference play.
 
Dube completed her rookie season with team highs in goals (five), assists (four), points (14) and shots on goal (12) while averaging just 56 minutes per contest. In a 4-3 triumph over Middle Tennessee, she recorded the first multi-goal performance and game-winning goal of her career. Dube ranked in the top-three of all C-USA student-athletes in points (10) and assists (four) versus conference foes. She recorded points in each of the team’s final five matches with two goals and three assists in that span.
 
Demers led UAB to a third-place finish in the league’s final standings after being voted to the No. 5 spot in the C-USA Preseason Poll. The Blazers rattled off a 10-match unbeaten streak from Sept. 4-Oct. 16, including a 6-0-2 mark in conference play. UAB’s defense, anchored by Zuniga, allowed just two goals to C-USA opponents during that span. The Blazers tied for the league lead with nine shutouts and finished second in goals allowed (four) and goals-against average (.400) in conference play.
 
Klein, Collins, Zuniga, Krstec and Killgore were all part of the First Team All-Conference USA squad. Joining them were defenders Amanda Martin (Florida Atlantic) and Lyric Schmidt (WKU), midfielders Taylor Tufts (North Texas), Delaney Schultz (Rice), and Anna Sutter (UTSA), and forward Bri Austin (Florida Atlantic).
 
A total of 10 programs are represented on the awards list this season. All awards are voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches. The coaches also selected Second Team and Third Team All-Conference squads and an All-Freshman Team.
 
The 2022 C-USA Women’s Soccer Championship commences with four quarterfinal matches Wednesday, November 2, at Transamerica Field in Charlotte, N.C. The semifinal round will be played Friday, November 4, and the C-USA championship game is scheduled for Sunday, November 6, at 12 p.m. CT. All matches of the league’s 28th championship will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
2022 C-USA Women’s Soccer All-Conference Award Winners
 
Player of the Year
Olivia Klein, North Texas
 
Offensive Player of the Year
Grace Collins, Rice
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Asha Zuniga, UAB
 
Midfielder of the Year
Gi Krstec, Florida Atlantic
 
Goalkeeper of the Year
Bella Killgore, Rice
 
Freshman of the Year
Flavie Dube, LA Tech
 
Coach of the Year
Erica Demers, UAB
 
All-Conference USA First Team
GK: Bella Killgore, Rice
D: Asha Zuniga, UAB
D: Amanda Martin, Florida Atlantic
D: Lyric Schmidt, WKU
MF: Gi Krstec, Florida Atlantic
MF: Taylor Tufts, North Texas
MF: Delaney Schultz, Rice
MF: Anna Sutter, UTSA
F: Olivia Klein, North Texas
F: Grace Collins, Rice
F: Bri Austin, Florida Atlantic
 
All-Conference USA Second Team
GK: Eve Beyer, UAB
D: Kendall Kloza, UTSA
D: Rachel Roebuck, North Texas
D: Josie Studer, LA Tech
D: Mikala Furuto, Rice
MF: Julia Patrum, Charlotte
MF: Jessica Wheeler, UAB
MF: Madi Allen, Rice
F: Flavie Dube, LA Tech
F: Kiran Singh, UTSA
F: Carlyn Presley, UAB
 
All-Conference USA Third Team
GK: Alexis Bach, WKU
D: Hailey Landrus, Florida Atlantic
D: Madi Starrett, North Texas
D: Sasjah Dade, UTSA
MF: Thelma Hermannsdottir, Florida Atlantic
MF: Emma Jones, LA Tech
MF: Kendall Page, UAB
F: Allie Byrd, North Texas
F: Tash Hudson, Charlotte
F: Nikole Solis, FIU
F: Stella Lawson, UAB
 
Conference USA All-Freshman Team
GK: Dani Jacobson, North Texas
D: Carsyn Martz, Rice
MF: Morgan McDonald, Florida Atlantic
MF: Kallie McKinney, Rice
MF: Abby Davis, WKU
MF/F: Bailey Manfredi, Charlotte
F: Flavie Dube, LA Tech
F: Summer Brown, North Texas
F: Kat Burnell, North Texas
F: Stella Lawson, UAB
F: Mina Rodriguez, UTEP