STANFORD, Calif. – Senior Naomi Girma was named the Pac-12 Defender of the Year for the second time in her career to highlight seven Stanford women's soccer players landing on one of the four all-conference teams, it was announced on Friday morning.
In addition to being named the defender of the year, Girma landed on the all-conference first team for the second time in her career. She was also a first team selection and the defender of the year in 2019 after earning a spot on the third team in 2018.
Girma was joined on the all-conference first team by Maya Doms. Doms was a third team selection as a freshman in 2019 before earning a spot on the second team a year ago.
Freshman Andrea Kitahata was named to the second team, while Sierra Enge, Madison Haley and Kennedy Wesley earned selections to the third team.
Making an immediate impact on The Farm, Kitahata and Avani Brandt were named to the all-freshman team.
Including her 2019 selection, Girma is the fifth consecutive Cardinal player to take home the Pac-12's top defensive honor, joining Tierna Davidson (2017), Alana Cook (2018) and Kiki Pickett (2020). She continues a streak of eight straight years of a Stanford player claiming at least one of the conference's player of the year honors.
The Pac-12 moved to a positional awards format in 2017. Andi Sullivan was named the conference freshman of the year in 2014 and overall player of the year in 2016, while Jane Campbell was the goalkeeper of the year in 2015.
Naomi Girma - Defender of the Year | First Team
- Second career defender of the year selection
- Three-time all-conference honoree
- Has started all 19 games and logged a team-high 1,655 minutes along the backline
- Leading the Cardinal to a 0.83 goals-against average and nine shutouts
- Has contributed four goals, including the game-winner against Washington State
Maya Doms - First Team
- Has started all 19 games in the midfield, playing 1,481 minutes
- Three-time all-conference honoree
- Team leader in goals (11) and points (25) with three game-winners
- 11 goals rank fifth in the Pac-12 (41st nationally) while her 4.16 shots per game rank second in the conference and 17th in the nation
- Two multi-goal games this season, including a hat trick in Stanford's 7-0 rout of CSUN
Andrea Kitahata – Second Team | Freshman Team
- Has played in all 19 matches, starting 18
- Has contributed 1,312 minutes
- Second on the team in points with 14 (four goals, six assists)
- Six assists are seventh-most in the Pac-12
Sierra Enge - Third Team
- Has started all 19 matches
- Has logged 1,565 minutes to place second among field players
- Two goals and three assists for seven points
- 10 of 26 shots on target
Madison Haley - Third Team
- Missed early part of the season but has played in nine matches, starting five
- Two goals and two assists for six points
- Game-winning goal at Washington
- Three-time Pac-12 honoree (first team in 2019, second team in 2018)
Kennedy Wesley - Third Team
- Has played in 18 matches, starting 17, at defender
- Has logged 1,300 minutes
- Earned all-freshman team honors in 2019
Avani Brandt - Freshman Team
- Has played in 18 matches, starting 15, at defender
- Owns one assist
- Has logged 1,439 minutes on the backline