Kelby ZendejasA trio of Ole Miss soccer players earned SEC postseason coaches awards. Junior Ashley Orkus was named SEC Goalkeeper of the Year, senior Channing Foster made the All-SEC team for the fourth year in a row and senior Chanel Thomas was named Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Orkus garnered all 13 possible votes for the keeper of the year award as well as joining teammate Foster with a First Team All-SEC honor. This is Orkus’s first time receiving this award. The Alabama native is now the first Ole Miss goalkeeper to receive the honor and the second to receive an SEC distinction. At the end of the regular fall season, Orkus placed second in the SEC with 49 saves as well as contributing three assists offensively.Â
Senior striker Foster earned her fourth All-SEC award, and this is the second time she has received the First Team All-SEC distinction. In addition, Foster has become the second Rebel soccer player to ever receive SEC distinctions in all four years at the University of Mississippi. To conclude the regular fall season, she tied sixth in the SEC for three goals and stands in sixth for Ole Miss scoring records with 33 goals.
Senior defender Chanel Thomas will share the title of Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year with South Carolina’s Lauren Chang. Thomas is the fourth Rebel to receive SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, with the first title given in 2013.Â
The SEC Tournament begins this weekend in Orange Beach, Ala. Ole Miss will take on the winner of No. 14 LSU versus No. 11 Alabama at 2:30 p.m on Nov. 15.
