CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced the end-of-season awards on Friday afternoon, with Lilly Short, Amani Green, Jillian Silverstone, Paige Olson, Jashyra Johnson, Ary Oliver, Lexi Radvanyi, and Ashley Loundermon receiving honors. The coaching staff, consisting of Ben Sohrabi, Brandon Slewa, and Alex Eydelman, also received the Coaching Staff of the Year award.
Short improved on a stellar junior campaign for an even better senior season to earn midfielder of the year and all-conference first team honors. She led the conference offensively with nine goals, 20 points, and four game winning goals in conference play. The Delaware native turned it on down the stretch, adding five goals over the final four games. Her nine regular-season goals are the highest by a Highlander since Kat Parris' 13 in 2021. She led the team in goals, points, shots (51), shots on goal (27), and game winners.
Green joined the Highlanders squad from East Carolina and made an immediate impact to earn the defender of the year, newcomer of the year, and first-team honors. She helped the Highlanders backline secure five Big South shutouts, including the final two games of the season. Green also capitalized from the penalty spot, converting both of her penalty kicks into goals. Her three goals were tied for the most among defenders in the Big South. The Baltimore, Maryland native also led the team in shots on goal percentage at .800 (among players with at least 500 minutes played).
The Radford coaching staff was recognized with the first Big South Coaching Staff of the Year award. It's Head Coach Sohrabi's sixth Big South coaching award, and seventh overall in program history. It's Assistant Coach Slewa's and Grad Assistant Eydelman's first awards as members of the program. The group led the Highlanders to their seventh regular season championship with a 10-4-1 record and 7-1 Big South record. This is the 17th time Sohrabi has led Radford to a 10+ win season.
In addition to the 'off the year' honorees, Silverstone was recognized on the first team list. The senior appeared in every regular season game for the second-straight season. Aside from Radvanyi in goal, she led the team with 1,309 minutes played, helping the team post six shutouts and holding the opponent to one goal or less in 11 of 15 matches. It's her third all-conference award, being honorable mention in 2024 and second team in 2023.
Olson returns to the second-team conference list for the second-straight season and third all-conference honor. The senior battled through injury to post another outstanding offensive season. She finished second on team in several categories, with five goals, 12 points, 31 shots, and 19 shots on goal. With two assists this season, she is tied with the second-most assists in a Radford career with 26.
Joining Olson on the second team is Johnson, who makes her first all-conference appearance. The junior pelted the shot sheet with 27 shots while appearing in all 15 games. She scored a pair of goals in the opening pair of games, then added five assists to lead the team in the category.
Rounding out Radford's representatives on the second team is Oliver. The freshman made an impact immediately, scoring a goal with two assists in her first collegiate season. The midfielder led all Highlander freshmen with 974 minutes played. She also was named to the all-freshman team. Oliver missed the final two matches after being invited to the U.S. Women's National Team U-20 training camp in Kansas City.
Radvanyi returned to the all-conference honors with an honorable mention after garnering a second team spot in 2023. The junior started every match in net and posted five clean sheets across 15 games. In 1,330 minutes played, she posted 1.15 goals against average totaling 51 saves while facing 157 shots.
Loundermon appeared on the all-academic team for the first time. A senior who started in all 15 matches, she scored two goals and had an assist on September 20 at Presbyterian. Loundermon holds a 3.978 GPA as an Allied Health Sciences major. The midfielder was honored as one of 27 Radford student-athletes to receive the Provost Scholar-Athlete Excellence Award for the 2024-25 academic year.
Radford will await the winner of No. 4 seed High Point and No. 5 seed Gardner-Webb in the Big South Tournament semifinals. The match will be on Thursday, November 6 at 4:00 p.m. from Matthews Sportsplex in North Carolina on ESPN+. Ticket information can be found here.
First-Team All-Conference
F – Riley O'Bryan, Soph., USC Upstate
F – Dara Russo, Sr., USC Upstate
F – Jenéa Knight, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
F – Sam Fischer, Fr., Longwood
MF – Lilly Short, Sr., Radford
MF – Paige Armstrong, Sr., USC Upstate
MF – Monssi Avila-Gutierrez, Jr., Winthrop
MF – Bella Burr, R-Soph., High Point
D – Amani Green, Jr., Radford
D – Sydney Robertson, Sr., Longwood
D – Jill Silverstone, Sr., Radford
D – Catarina Dantas, Sr., USC Upstate
GK – Savannah Dixon, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
Second-Team All-Conference
F – Paige Olson, Sr., Radford
F – Jashyra Johnson, Jr., Radford
F – Sedona Dancu, Gr., Charleston Southern
F – Sloan Spees, Jr., Presbyterian
MF – Meghan Piazza, Jr., Longwood
MF – Aryana Oliver, Fr., Radford
MF – Lindsey Malyszek, Sr., Presbyterian
MF – Jessica Boyle, Sr., Charleston Southern
D – Camila Lezcano, Sr., Gardner-Webb
D – Savannah Noll, Sr., USC Upstate
D – Cadance Bell, Soph., Charleston Southern
D – Kasey Resker, Soph., High Point
GK – Sara Curtis, Gr., Longwood
Honorable Mention All-Conference
Sabba Haghgoo, F, Soph., High Point
Akari Kishida, MF, Sr., UNC Asheville
Lexi Radvanyi, GK, Jr., Radford
Hannah Johnson, MF, R-Soph., USC Upstate
Shae Hassig, D, Sr., UNC Asheville
All-Freshman Team
Sam Fischer, F, Fr., Longwood
Aryana Oliver, MF, Fr., Radford
Caroline Simpkins, F, R-Fr., USC Upstate
Lyndsay Sheets, F, Fr., Winthrop
Joellie Giquinto, D, Fr., High Point
Sarah Birchall, D, Fr., Gardner-Webb
Rowyn Serne, MF, Fr., Charleston Southern
All-Academic Team
Amélie Boyle, D, Soph., Charleston Southern
Peyton Bryant, D, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
Bella Burr, MF, R-Soph., High Point
Lindsey Malyszek, MF, Sr., Presbyterian College
Ashley Loundermon, MF, Sr., Radford
Shae Hassig, D, Sr., UNC Asheville
Savannah Noll, D, Sr., USC Upstate
Regan Goodwyn, D, Jr., Winthrop
Sara Curtis, GK, Gr., Longwood
Forward of the Year
Riley O'Bryan, Soph., USC Upstate
Midfielder of the Year
Lilly Short, Sr., Radford
Goalkeeper of the Year
Savannah Dixon, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
Defender of the Year
Amani Green, Sr., Radford
Freshman of the Year
Sam Fischer, F, Fr., Longwood
Newcomer of the Year
Amani Green, D, Sr., Radford
Coaching Staff of the Year
Radford
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Sara Curtis, GK, Gr., Longwood
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