JMU's Ginny Lackey Named Sun Belt Women's Soccer Player of the Year

JMU’s Ginny Lackey Named Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Player of the Year

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James Madison forward Ginny Lackey headlines the Sun Belt Conference’s 2026 women’s soccer postseason awards, capturing Player of the Year honors for the second time in her collegiate career. The postseason accolades follow a grueling regular season that set the stage for four quarterfinal matches on Monday, followed by the semifinals on November 11 and the championship game on November 14. All seven tournament contests are scheduled for broadcast on ESPN+, bringing regional competition to a national streaming audience.

The road to the Sun Belt crown runs directly through Foley, Alabama, where the top programs in the conference will clash over a compressed five-day window. James Madison enters the tournament holding the No. 1 seed after securing a 9-5-6 regular-season record, including a dominant 7-1-2 mark in conference play.

Head coach Joshua Walters Sr., now in his ninth season at the helm in Harrisonburg, earned Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors for the second time in three seasons. Under his direction, the Dukes finished the regular season unbeaten in 10 of their final 11 matches.

JMU's Ginny Lackey Named Sun Belt Women's Soccer Player of the Year
Photo: bvmsports.com

Meanwhile, other programs across the conference are carrying momentum into the postseason. Georgia Southern wrapped up its campaign with an 8-5-5 record, marking a six-win improvement from the previous season while maintaining a spot in the top 100 of the NCAA’s RPI rankings all year.

Individual Award Winners Dominate the Pitch

Lackey’s path to her second Player of the Year award—she also won it as a freshman in 2024—puts her in rare company. The Manchester, England native is just the fourth player in conference history to claim the top honor multiple times. She closed the regular season leading the league in goals (15), points (33), and game-winning goals (6), driving the Dukes to their second regular-season crown in three years.

Other major award winners left an equally heavy footprint across the conference stat sheets:

  • Offensive Player of the Year: Aaliyah Faddoul, Georgia State (4th Year, F)
  • Midfielder of the Year: Miku Kurihara, Louisiana (2nd Year, M)
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Ashlynn Kulha, Old Dominion (4th Year, D)
  • Goalkeeper of the Year: Ellie Goodrich, Old Dominion (4th Year, GK)
  • Newcomer of the Year: Wiktoria Mikrut, Marshall (2nd Year, F)
  • Freshman of the Year: Holly Minshull, James Madison (1st Year, D)
  • Coach of the Year: Joshua Walters Sr., James Madison

Old Dominion anchored its recognition on the defensive side of the ball. Fourth-year center back Ashlynn Kulha secured Defensive Player of the Year honors for the third consecutive season. Kulha marshaled a Monarchs back line that allowed just 12 goals all season and only three during conference play. Teammate Ellie Goodrich claimed Goalkeeper of the Year with a conference-low 0.59 goals-against average.

All-Conference Selections Highlight Depth Across Twelve Programs

Twelve different Sun Belt institutions placed players across the three all-conference teams, demonstrating the broadening competitive baseline of the league. Old Dominion led all programs with seven total honorees, including four first-team selections. James Madison followed closely with six selections.

Georgia Southern placed two players on the All-Sun Belt Second Team, marking a milestone for the Eagles’ senior leadership. Fifth-year midfielder Kendall Wilson and fourth-year forward Addison Comer earned their first career all-conference nods. Comer led the conference with eight assists while adding six goals to set new career highs, registering the highest assist total for a Georgia Southern player since 2015.

As the tournament unfolds in Alabama, the question remains whether James Madison can convert its regular-season success into a championship, or if a strong defensive unit like Old Dominion can stifle the competition.

More on this story: UNCW Women's Soccer Earns Eight All-CAA Honors, Four Major Awards

More on Sun Belt: Sun Belt Announces 2026 Women's Soccer Championship Bracket · Arkansas State Chases Sun Belt Volleyball Regular Season Crown

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