The 2023 Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) Women’s Soccer All-South Region Teams were announced Tuesday, November 28. The teams were voted on by the sports communicators in the south region. The Lee University women's soccer team had three players named to the teams. Senior Kate Dirkse and sophomore Alaysia Nye were named to the first team, while Juliana Lopes was named to the second team.
Dirske was the anchor of the Lee defense this season while also contributing quite a bit to the offense.
She scored eight goals as a center back. This season she was the Gulf South Conference defender of the year and was on the First Team All-GSC. Kate was a preseason All-GSC member, and was a USCA Second Team All-American last year. Along with a D2CCA Third Team All-American, First Team All-South Region, First Team All-GSC, and GSC All-Tournament team last year.
Nye was the leading goal scorer for the Lady Flames this year. She has scored 12 goals to lead the Gulf South Conference and is 19th in all of D2. A First Team All-GSC member, this is the first time she has been on an All-Region team.
Lopes has been a steady fixture in the midfield this year. She has scored three goals and had three assists this season. Lopes is garnering all region honors for the the first time this season as she was also a First Team All-GSC member.
Marem Ndiongue, a senior forward from Catania, Italy, of Florida Tech was selected as the 2023 D2 CCA Women’s Soccer South Region Player of the Year. She was also named the 2023 Sunshine State Conference Offensive Player of the Year. She has, to this point in the season, recorded 16 goals and 10 assists. She has led the nationally ranked Panthers to a 15-2-3 record, an SSC runner-up finish, and a trip to the NCAA region finals.
Florida Tech, West Florida, and Embry-Riddle led the way with three first-team selections each. West Florida led the way with six total selections on both the first and second teams. Ten different south region schools had a representative listed.
A tie for the final midfielder spot on the first team was not broken.
2023 Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) Women’s Soccer All-South Region Team
South Region Player of the Year: Marem Ndiongue (Senior, Forward, Florida Tech)
First Team
Pos Name School Yr. Hometown
GK Ayana Aoyagi Florida Tech Sr. Cairns, Australia
F Marem Ndiongue Florida Tech Sr. Catania, Italy
F Mya Swinton West Florida Sr. Gulf Breeze, Florida
F Alaysia Nye Lee So. Lemon Grove, California
F Marie Myhrvold Seim ! Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Sr. Bergen, Norway
MF Kayla Park Rollins Jr. Lisbon, Connecticut
MF Isabelle Navren # $ Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Sr. Stockholm, Sweden
MF Manami Okada # West Florida Sr. Tokyo, Japan
MF Aisling Spillane Eckerd Jr. Dublin, Ireland
MF Poppy Binding Spring Hill Sr. Essex, England
D Kate Dirkse # Lee Sr. Chattanooga, Tennessee
D Thea Nyberg Embry-Riddle Aeronautical So. Uppsala, Sweden
D Kendall Blackmon West Florida Jr. Pensacola, Florida
D Kajsa Ekstrom Florida Tech So. Umea, Sweden
Second Team
Pos Name School Yr. Hometown
GK Maciah Lipsey @ West Florida Sr. Southfield, Michigan
F Luana Grabias # Nova Southeastern Sr. Parana, Brazil
F Erin Hederman # Mississippi College Sr. Jackson, Mississippi
F Emma Beltz West Florida Jr. Kansas City, Missouri
F Kendall Drummond Eckerd Jr. Valrico, Florida
MF Juliana Lopes Lee So. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
MF Grace Foyer $ Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Jr. York, England
MF Margherita Giubilato Mississippi College Sr. Venice, Italy
MF Kaeri Ward Montevallo Sr. Kennewick, Washington
D Ahnalie Layman West Florida Jr. St. Augustine, Florida
D Emma Brown Nova Southeastern Jr. North Yorkshire, England
D Emma Young ! @ Mississippi College Sr. Lafayette, Louisiana
D Hattie Kettle # Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Jr. Bracknell, England
# - 2022 1st team selection ! - 2022 2nd team selection @ - 2021 1st team selection $ - 2021 2nd team selection
-D2CCA-
The Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2 CCA) encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.