SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Three Samford players were named to the All-SoCon teams and another was named to the league's All-Freshman squad when the league released its postseason soccer awards Thursday afternoon.
 
Midfielder Whitaker Buchanan and defender Ella Simpson were both named first team All-SoCon, while forward Layton Glisson earned second team All-SoCon honors. Alex Parr was named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team as well.
 
Buchanan finished the regular season with three goals and a team-high eight assists for a total of 14 points. Her best game of the season came at VMI when she had a goal and an assist, and she earned SoCon Player of the Week honors for her efforts.
 
Simpson was again the leader of one of the SoCon's best back lines. In addition to her defensive work, she netted four goals and dished out one assist for a total of nine points.
 
Glisson led the team with six goals this season. She also dished out three assists for a team-high 15 points. Her best game came in the win over VMI when she netted a pair of goals for the Bulldogs.
 
Parr has made an immediate impact on Samford's back line in her freshman season. She picked up the first point of her career with an assist on the game-winning goal in the 2-1 win over UNC Greensboro in the regular-season finale last week.
 
Samford is the No. 2 seed in this week's Southern Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs will play host to UNC Greensboro in the quarterfinal round Friday at 4 p.m. at Shauna Yelton Field.
 
2024 Women's Soccer All-Conference Team
  
Player of the Year – Larkin Thomason, So., F, Mercer
Defensive Player of the Year – Ava Robitaille, Jr., M, Western Carolina
Coach of the Year – Chad Miller, Western Carolina
Freshman of the Year – Merle Greulich, F, UNCG
 
First Team
F – Larkin Thomason, Mercer
F – Isabella DeMarco, Western Carolina
F – Milla Syska, Western Carolina
M – Nieva Gaither, Furman
M – Whitaker Buchanan, Samford
M – Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
M – Ava Robitaille, Western Carolina
D – Miya Poplin, Furman
D – Ella Simpson, Samford
D – Becca Campbell, Western Carolina
GK – Leanne Trudel, Western Carolina
 
Second Team
F – Tara Katz, Furman
F – Jada Moorman, Mercer
F – Layton Glisson, Samford
F – Caroline Richvalsky, Chattanooga
M – Kendall Cook, Mercer
M – Sara Engels, Mercer
M – Rachel Poplin, UNCG
D – Madi Hook, ETSU
D – Lena Dykes, Mercer
D – Brenna Swiger, Chattanooga
GK – Ashton Blair, ETSU

All-Freshman Team
Charlotte Seay, The Citadel
Jada Cooper, ETSU
Reese DeJong, Furman
Sarah Sexton, Furman
Maggie Rollins, Mercer
Merle Greulich, UNCG      
Alex Parr, Samford
EG Dillard, Chattanooga
Sophia Mize, Chattanooga
Malia Roberts, Western Carolina
Kate Markey, Wofford
 
 
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