Nov. 3, 2009

Memphis, Tenn. -

Junior forward Ashley Berra was named C-USA Offensive Player of the year and junior defender Kelsey Bakker was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year as the University of Memphis women’s soccer team had a program-record six honorees as announced by the league office on Tuesday.

Berra was named to the All-C-USA first team and becomes the third Lady Tiger to receive C-USA Offensive Player of the Year honors and is the second-straight winner for Memphis. The Cordova, Tenn. native has posted 13 goals and five assists this season. She was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women’s Team of the Week after posting two goals against Marshall on Oct. 23rd.

Bakker was also named to the All-C-USA first team and becomes the first-ever Lady Tiger to be named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. The Kennewick, Wash., native has started all 19 matches for Memphis and has tallied one goal from her defender position. Bakker leads a defensive backfield that has tied a school-record with 10 shutouts this season and has limited opponents to 8.1 shots per game and a 0.78 goals against average.

Junior midfielder Vendula Strnadova was also named All-C-USA first team. Strnadova receives first team honors for the third time in her three-year career at Memphis. The Las Cruces, N. M., native has recorded four goals and two assists this season, and is eight shots shy of second place in the career shot ranks behind current assistant coach Jodi Fisher-Grant. Strnadova was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 24th after posting the game-winning goal in the season opener at LSU.

Sophomore goalkeeper Elise Kuhar-Pitters received her first postseason award as she was named All-C-USA second team. The Lady Tiger netminder has posted nine shutouts this season, which is the second- most in school history for a single season. The Spokane, Wash., native leads C-USA with a goals against average of 0.83. Kuhar-Pitters was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 28th after posting back-to-back shutouts against Southern Miss and UCF.

Freshmen Averi Hallman and Taylor Isenhower were named to the C-USA All-Freshman team. Hallman has tallied a team-leading seven assists this season, along with one goal, after starting in 11 of the 19 matches she has played in. Isenhower, who was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 25th, has posted four goals and two assists this season after starting in eight of the 19 matches she has played in.

The Lady Tigers open up the C-USA Women’s Soccer Championship on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Dallas, Texas against the host SMU Mustangs.

Offensive Player of the Year
Ashley Berra, Memphis

Defensive Player of the Year
Kelsey Bakker, Memphis

Midfielder of the Year
Becca Thomas, UCF

Freshman of the Year
Skye Schultz, UTEP

Coach of the Year
Amanda Cromwell, UCF

All-Conference First Team

F: Ashley Berra, Memphis
F: Tiffany Brown, Colorado College
F: Tameka Sumter, UTEP
F: Courtney Whidden, UCF
MF: Vendula Strnadova, Memphis
MF: Becca Thomas, UCF
MF: Chelsea Winbush, UTEP
D: Kelsey Bakker, Memphis
D: Nikki Moore, UCF
D: Lauren Talbot, Colorado College
GK: Aline Reis, UCF

All-Conference Second Team

F: Erika Duncan, Marshall
F: Erin Scott, Rice
F: Tiffini Turpin, UAB
MF: Ericka Bear, Colorado College
MF: Molly Snead, Marshall
MF: Bailey Wilcox, East Carolina
D: Kayla Chambers, Tulsa
D: Kaitlyn Eidson, SMU
D: Jessica Rathweg, Houston
D: Marie Yempuku, UAB
GK: Elise Kuhar-Pitters, Memphis

All-Conference Third Team

F: Emily Beans, Colorado College
F: Lauri Byrne, Houston
F: Yvonne George, UCF
MF: Jennifer Kacergis, Tulsa
MF: Kristin Medeiros, SMU
MF: Jo Radcliffe, UTEP
MF: Shelley Wong, Rice
D: Amanda Broz, East Carolina
D: Bianca Joswiak, UCF
D: Katelyn Ostendorf, Rice
GK: Caitlin Hulyo, Colorado College

All-Freshman Team

Brittney Lyman, F, Colorado College
Rachel Wechsler, MF, East Carolina
Sarah Vinson, MF, Marshall
Averi Hallman, F, Memphis
Taylor Isenhower, F, Memphis
Julia Barrow, MF, Rice
Mallory Baum, MF, SMU
Katie Bykowski, GK, Tulsa
Rachel Garcia, D, Tulsa
Bianca Joswiak, D, UCF
Nicolette Radovcic, F, UCF
Alex Brandt, MF/F, UCF
Skye Schultz, F, UTEP