NEW ORLEANS - Ashlynn Kulha earns a historic third-straight Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and Ellie Goodrich has been selected Sun Belt Goalkeeper of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday. Seven Monarchs were selected to All-Sun Belt Teams.
The Silver and Blue earned four All-Sun Belt First Team nods with 36.3% of the conference’s first team consisting of Monarchs. The Old Dominion backline earned its dues for only allowing three goals in conference play and holding opposing scoring offenses to a 0.71 rating. For further clarity, that 0.71 rating means ODU’s defense held opponents to the average scoring offense of the 317th ranked program in Division-I.
ODU’s Ashley Economopoulos has earned a nod on the All-Sun Belt Third Team. Madison Telmer and Ally Richardson pair up the middle of the pitch on the All-Sun Belt Third Team.
ASHLYNN KULHA | 4-Yr. | D | HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. | DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kulha earned her third-straight DPOY and All-Sun Belt First Team nod. No player in Sun Belt history had ever earned two when she earned a ground-breaking selection last season. Now, the Holly Springs, North Carolina native is charting even more never-before-seen accolades. With three All-Sun Belt First Teams, three Preseason All-Sun Belt First Teams, a ring from the Monarchs’ Sun Belt Championship in 2023, Kulha has solidified herself as the most decorated Sun Belt women’s soccer defender of all time
The fourth year defender was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after a pair of shutout performances against Sun Belt opponents on September 29. It was the fifth time in the defender's collegiate career that she has been named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week.
ELLIE GOODRICH | 4-Yr. | GK | ALEXANDRIA, Va. | GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Goodrich in her fourth season at Old Dominion and second season as a starter was awarded Goalkeeper of the Year and All-Sun Belt First Team. The Alexandria, Virginia native is the most recent Monarch to earn the award since Emily Bredek did so in 2024. This season she has only allowed eight goals and three in SBC action. She has tallied 24 saves on a 75% save percentage, has eight shutouts, and a goals against average of 0.59.
The fourth year goalkeeper was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 22 after securing a shutout in ODU’s 1-0 win over ULM in the first conference game of the season. Last season, Goodrich was selected to the All-Sun Belt Third Team after she ranked second in the Sun Belt in goals against average (0.6), third in the conference in shutouts with six in 10 games played, and fourth in total saves with 20.
DYLAN MCENTARFER | 2-Yr. | D | VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. | ALL-SUN BELT FIRST TEAM
Dylan McEntarfer, a local student-athlete who grew up 30 minutes away from ODU in Virginia Beach, Virginia, earns her first All-Sun Belt honor as an All-Sun Belt First Team selection. She has played every minute in every game this season in an experienced tandem with Kulha, Libby Holmes, and Sydney Somers.
She earned a Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week award on October 27 after scoring her second goal of the season on Sunday afternoon to help give ODU a 2-0 lead in the second half. She played every minute on the pitch over the two games and has only sat on the bench for six minutes this season. Old Dominion has kept seven conference clean sheets and nine total, both rank best in the Sun Belt.
LIBBY HOLMES | 4-Yr. | D | SHEFFORD, ENGLAND | ALL-SUN BELT FIRST TEAM
Holmes followed her former head coach at ULM, Will Roberts, to join the Monarchs this season. Holmes earned an All-Sun Belt First Team selection last season with the Warhawks and this season she has not missed a step. The Shefford, England native earns back-to-back All-Sun Belt First Team honors. Her partnership with Kulha as the main centreback duo this season has been the icing on the cake for the already stout defense back line.
Holmes was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 6 after she scored the game-winning goal in the Silver and Blue's 1-0 win against South Alabama on Saturday night. Old Dominion’s back line held the Jaguars to four shots and two shots on targeT.
ASHLEY ECONOMOPOULOS | 2-Yr. | F | GRANTVILLE, Pa. | ALL-SUN BELT SECOND TEAM
Ashley Economopoulos got herself on SportsCenter after scoring two goals against Marshall and is preparing to take on the Herd again in Foley, Alabama. But first she gets to be honored for being selected to the All-Sun Belt Second Team. The Grantville, Pennsylvania native scored all five of her goals and all 11 of her points this season in conference games. The second year forward collects her second All-Sun Belt recognition after earning a Third Team nod in her freshman season.
Economopoulos earned a Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week award on October 27 after she scored the game-winning goals in back-to-back conference games. The Grantville, Pennsylvania native tallied six points over the week’s matches with two goals against LA Tech and one goal against the Chanticleers.
MADISON TELMER | 4-Yr. | M | SINGAPORE | ALL-SUN BELT THIRD TEAM
Madison Telmer collects her first All-Sun Belt recognition in her second year with ODU and her fourth year in collegiate athletics. The Singapore native earned an All-Sun Belt Third selection after playing every game and tallying 10 points from three goals and three assists this season. She scored the game-winning goal twice in 2026, this first came in a 1-0 win over Maryland in College Park. The second was a late winner in ODU’s 2-1 victory over Georgia Southern.
ALLY RICHARDSON | 5-Yr. | M | FLOWER MOUND,TEXAS | ALL-SUN BELT THIRD TEAM
Ally Richardson joined Old Dominion from ULM this season and has started every game in her first year in Norfolk. She earns an All-Sun Belt Third Team honor for being an ever-present figure in the middle of the park. Richardson scored one goal this season from six shots. She scored directly for a long free kick against Longwood in a 3-0 win.