STANFORD, Calif. - Senior Kelsey Murray was named Pac-12 Attacker of the Year and Ali Baiocco was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year as No. 11 Stanford led the league with six All-Pac-12 Lacrosse honorees, as announced by the conference office on Friday.
Murray is joined on the All-Pac-12 First Team by junior defender Julia Massaro and sophomore midfielder Daniella McMahon. Senior goalkeeper Allie DaCar, junior Areta Buness and Baiocco were second-team selections.
Murray is one of 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the top player in the nation. She has set seven school records this season, including the program's all-time career marks for goals, assists and games played. She ranks atop the Pac-12 in points with a school record 89 this season, and is second in the league with 39 assists -- second-most in school history. The Wilmette, Illinois, native was also named the 2018 Pac-12 Scholar of the Year.
Best in the Pac. Congrats, Kelsey!#GoStanford #Pac12Lax pic.twitter.com/ZEnr5U0rNJ
— Stanford WLAX (@StanfordWLax) May 4, 2018
Baiocco ranks among the top 10 in the conference in goals and points, and is second on the team in both those categories behind Murray.
First-ever @Pac12 Freshman of the Year ?? Congrats, Ali! #GoStanford #Pac12Lax pic.twitter.com/EXUItizHvc
— Stanford WLAX (@StanfordWLax) May 4, 2018
Massaro set a school record with 80 draw controls this season, McMahon is tops on the team with 25 caused turnovers, DaCar is second in the conference with 155 saves and was named Pac-12 Tournament MVP, and Buness is the third-leading scorer for a Cardinal offense that leads the Pac-12 in nearly every offensive category.
In the first season of Pac-12 play, Stanford (15-4, 8-2 Pac-12) finished second in the Pac-12 Conference in the regular season and won the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament Championship last weekend with a come-from-behind win on Friday over No. 20 USC, 15-14, and a dominant performance over top-seeded and 14th-ranked Colorado, 15-6, on Sunday in Boulder, Colorado.
The Cardinal has produced the second-most wins in program history and is one away from matching the school record set in 2011.
Stanford clinched the Pac-12's first automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and awaits the selection show on Sunday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. PT. It will mark the program's eighth NCAA appearance, and seventh in 10 seasons under head coach Amy Bokker.