SAN FRANSICO – Colorado soccer had three players spread across the Pac-12 All-Conference honors announced by the league office on Tuesday.
Shyra James and Faith Leyba each earned All-Conference, while Leyba and Ava Priest were selected All-Freshman.
“We are very pleased that Shyra, Faith and Ava were recognized by the Pac-12 Coaches,” head coach Danny Sanchez commented. “Shyra was the leading scorer and point-getter in the conference and is very deserving of First Team All-Conference status. Faith was a dominant back in the league and it is great the coaches recognized her in her first year. Ava finished tied for second in the league in assists and we are very excited about her future as a Buff.”
James, a La Mesa, Calif., native, was a CU’s lone First Team selection. She leads the Pac-12 with career-highs in goals (15) and points (32) this season. James ranks sixth in the nation in goals and 12th in the country in points as the Buffs enter the NCAA Tournament. The senior striker has two multi-goal games this season and scored in seven straight matches. Her 15 goals and 32 points are both second in a single season, trailing Nikki Marshall’s 37 points and 17 goals in 2006. Currently, James ranks seventh in the NCAA with 0.79 goals per game and set a school record with 0.53 goals per game in her career. She moved into second all-time in career goals this season, becoming just the second Buff to hit 40 goals in a career.
Leyba, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, has had a strong rookie season on the backline for the Buffs. She has started all 20 matches and leads all of CU’s field players in minutes played. Leyba leads all of Colorado’s freshmen with her three goals on just five shots on goal. She has helped the Buffs backline record eight shutouts this season, marking the most since the 2020 season. Leyba ranked No. 6 in Top Drawer Soccer‘s Midseason Freshman 100.
Priest, a Boulder, Colo., native, played all over the pitch for the Buffs in her first season. She started 19 matches and has played in all 20. She scored her first career goal at New Mexico, becoming the youngest player in the NCAA to record a goal this season (17 years, 65 days). She leads all of CU’s freshmen and was second on the team with 10 points. Priest handed out assists in three consecutive games from Sept. 28-Oct. 5 and is tied for…
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