CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced the women's soccer all-conference and postseason award winners this evening. Seven different Spartans earned All-Conference Honors.
For the third straight season, USC Upstate women's soccer claimed a postseason player of the year award. Sophomore forward
Riley O'Bryan claimed the 2025 Big South Forward of the Year accolade. O'Bryan began the season as one of the forwards named to the top returners to watch list. Leading the Spartans in points with 16, the sophomore has totaled seven goals and two assists this season, netting her first goal of 2025 against VMI. In conference play alone, she totaled five goals and one assist for a total of 11 points. The forward sits second in the conference for shots on goal (14), goals, and points. She was named the Big South Offensive Player of the Week after her first career brace against High Point. In the last two games of the regular season, O'Bryan netted a goal and tallied two assists.
Joining O'Bryan on the First Team All-Conference selection list are seniors
Dara Russo,
Paige Armstrong, and
Catarina Dantas. Senior
Savannah Noll earned both Second Team All-Conference honors and All-Academic Team honors, becoming the second player since 2018 to land on both lists. Redshirt sophomore
Hannah Johnson received an honorable mention all-conference, and redshirt freshman
Caroline Simpkins was named to the All-Freshman Team.
Marking her third consecutive season landing on the First Team All-Conference list,
Dara Russo totaled 15 points behind six goals, three assists, and three game-winning goals. She was tabbed the 2025 Big South Preseason Forward of the Year and was named to the Big South Midseason Watch List. Russo earned two Big South Offensive Player of the Week Awards on September 8th and September 22
nd.
Armstrong earned First Team All-Conference Honors after netting six goals and tallying three assists for 15 points, including one game-winning goal. She sits third in the conference for goals (4) and points with nine. Armstrong was named to the 2025 Big South Top Returners to Watch List and to the midseason watch list.
For the third straight season, Dantas earned a spot on the First Team, anchoring the backline for the Spartans to six shutouts on the season. Appearing in all 17 matches, she logged 1,327 minutes, collecting a Big South Defensive Player of the Week award on September 8th. She tallied her lone assist of the season on Russo's match-tying goal against Furman.
Savannah Noll is the second player since 2018 to land on both the Second Team All-Conference and the All-Academic Team. Playing 1,228 minutes along the backline, Noll netted two goals and contributed four assists, three in conference play alone, to rank her second in the Big South. Off the field, Noll has maintained a GPA of 3.974 in Exercise and Sport Science, helping secure her spot on the All-Academic Team.
Earning an Honorable Mention All-Conference was
Hannah Johnson. In conference play, Johnson netted the game-winning goal against Charleston Southern and dished out two assists. Her first goal of the season came against Wake Forest.
Caroline Simpkins earned her first career conference honor with her selection to the All-Freshman Team. Her first career goal was the game-winning goal against Presbyterian. Simpkins has appeared in 16 matches for the Spartans.
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