INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (December 11, 2025) – After the conclusion of the 2025 season, the NCAA women's soccer statistics finalized. The University of North Alabama soccer team earned two statistical championships from the NCAA in team save percentage and individual shot accuracy.
 
Graduate goalkeeper Madison Vukas led the Lions to the highest team save percentage across the NCAA with a .902 in her 1,730 minutes played in goal this season. She finished second individually behind Bryant's Selena Negron who played 825 minutes throughout the 2025 campaign.
 
The second accolade is handed to graduate forward and team captain, Alice Bussey. The Hythe, England native was the best marksman across the NCAA as she boasted the best shot accuracy for any player with her .692 metric.
 
These two are the first NCAA Statistical Champions for any North Alabama athletic program during the Division I era, which began in 2018.
 
The Lions finished 8-5-6 for the season with a postseason berth to the ASUN Tournament. North Alabama drew the ninth-best offensive scoring team in the nation — No. 2 seeded Jacksonville Dolphins; the Dolphins advanced on PKs, 4-3.
 
The bounce-back season was tied to the defensive prowess that the Lions brought to the pitch all season. The team boasted nine shutouts while winning two Atlantic Sun Defender of the Week awards in Adelyn Speight and Lilly Ford.
 
Alongside Speight and Ford, Gracie Tyrrell and Avery Smith comprised a backline that floated the Lions amongst the top in the nation in goals against average.
 
After the dust settled on the 2025 season, the Lions finished ninth in the category — besting the likes of Tennessee, Washington, Virginia and others.  
 
Vukas was an integral part to the resurgence of the 2025 team, breaking multiple records along the way. The graduate keeper set new standards for the soccer program in fewest goals allowed in a season (12) and Division I records for goals against average (.624) and saves (111).
 
Alongside the ASUN Defender of the Week accolades, Vukas earned a ASUN Goalkeeper of the Week award. At the end of the season, coaches across the ASUN elected her as the Goalkeeper of the Year for outstanding play. She led the ASUN in goals against average, save percentage and shutouts.
"Our team save percentage and goals against average are among the best in the nation," said head coach Chris Walker. "That is a direct reflection of the work our players put in every single day. Madison (Vukas) has been outstanding in goal and our defensive group has shown incredible discipline, communication and effort. They take a lot of pride in defending and their commitment is a huge part of why were successful."
The Lions won a fourth ASUN weekly award this season – Player of the Week, Alice Bussey.
 
While the defense led the way, Bussey led the offensive surge that saw back-to-back 3-0 wins and a scoring outbreak of eight goals that spanned eight days.
 
Bussey led the team with 39 total shots across 19 games played as 27 were on-target. She scored five goals en route to being the team's statistical leader in the category.
 
Her .692 mark bested players from teams such as Virginia, Illinois, Xavier and even the two national championship teams in Florida State's Wrianna Hudson and Standford's Jasmine Aikey.
 
After recovering from an injury that sidelined her the entirety of the 2024 season, she returned to lead the Lions back to the postseason tournament for the first time since dropping the 2023 ASUN Final to FGCU in PKs.
 
During her career in the purple and white, she racked up All-ASUN First Team, All-ASUN Third Team, Preseason All-ASUN, USC All-American Second Team, USC Players to Watch List, Mac Hermann Trophy Watch List, All-South Region First Team, Academic All-ASUN and CSC All-Academic selections.
 
"It is fantastic for Alice (Bussey) to lead the nation in shot accuracy," said Walker. "She worked so hard to bounce back from her injury last year and finished off her final year back at her best. She's definitely left her mark on the program for years to come."
 
In 2023, keeper Adriana Wright led the NCAA in shutouts with 13 at the end of the Lions season and was on watch to become the first statistical champion. However, she was eclipsed by Florida State's Cristina Roque who led the Seminoles to a national championship that year.
 
The previous soccer statistical national champion for North Alabama came from Chloe Richards in 2015 as she led in most goals (30) and game-winning goals (9) during the Division II era.
 
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