NORFOLK, Va. -- The 2022 Sun Belt Conference champion women's soccer team celebrated their first league title and second in a row across two different conferences with their annual awards banquet on Saturday, April 22.
Over 100 parents, family, supporters and ODU staff attended to help celebrate a historic season of not only winning their first Sun Belt crown, but a second straight league title coming off the 2021 Conference USA championship.
The banquet also put a cap on the career of nine graduating seniors who were recognized as teammates spoke about what each one meant to them personally and as a teammate. Some speeches provoked laughter, while some spoke from the heart and tugged the emotional strings.
The 2022 season produced a historic end to the Monarchs first year back in Sun Belt Conference as they were crowned Tournament champions and secured, for the second year running, the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. With a 9-9-3 record, which saw a slow start to the campaign they found form, and the back of the net, at the right time to make history as Back-to-Back champions across two different conferences.
A perfect way to end the night was handed out to each member of the 2022 Sun Belt Conference champions – their championship rings.
"What an amazing opportunity to celebrate this historic season with those who have been so supportive to the team and our program's success. It is so nice to be in the room with all those who mean so much to our players and for us to share this special day together," said ODU Head Coach Angie Hind. "We had the chance to recognize a few of our players' achievements individually, but also to present that championship rings to everyone and share that moment is special. To achieve what this team has done is historic and yet we remain humble and know that altogether what it takes to get here. The best part of day was seeing the joy in our players faces as they proudly celebrated with their families."
ODU Awards
2022 Most Valuable Player – Ece Turkoglu
First Team All-Sun Belt
Sun Belt All-Tournament Team
3rd Team All-Southeast Region
2022 Offensive Player of the Year – Carla Morich
First Team All-Sun Belt
Sun Belt Tournament MVP
2nd Team All-Southeast Region
United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American
2022 Defensive Player of the Year – Riley Kennett
All-Sun Belt Tournament Team
3rd Team All-Southeast Region
2022 Best Newcomer Award – Anna Torslov
All-Sun Belt Tournament Team
Started all 21 matches
Postseason Honors
All-Sun Belt Tournament Team: Andrea Balcazar, Riley Kennett, Anna Torslov, Ece Turkoglu, Carla Morich (Most Outstanding Performer)
First Team All-Sun Belt – Ece Turkoglu and Carla Morich
United Soccer Coaches All-Region: Carla Morich (Second Team); Ece Turkoglu (Third Team); Riley Kennett (Third Team)
United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American – Carla Morich (Third Team)
Women’s Soccer Celebrates Second Straight League Title With Awards Banquet
