ARLINGTON, Texas. (November 7, 2026) – The United Athletic Conference announced Saturday the University of North Alabama soccer team earned six Academic All-ASUN selections.
Junior midfielder
Gizelle El Assal, senior defender
Lilly Ford, junior midfielder
Emerson Nieroda, senior forward
Alana Owens, junior defender
Avery Smith and senior defender
Adelyn Speight represented the Lions on this year's list.
The six selections mark the most in a single season during UNA's Division I era, surpassing the 2025 total of four honorees —
Alice Bussey,
Molly Parham,
Madison Vukas and Speight.
Speight is the only repeat recipient of the award; she was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District in 2025.
Speight, a finance major and two-time captain, anchored a back line that produced six shutouts with three straight to close the regular season. She was named the UAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and was named UAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 28 after two wins with a shutout against West Georgia and Austin Peay.
Ford, a first-year captain and a 4.0 nursing major, helped lead one of the UAC's toughest defenses. A steady presence on the backline, she disrupted passing lanes, limited scoring chances and pressured opposing defenses. She helped limit opposing offenses to just over one goal per game, best for third in the conference.
El Assal, an exercise science major, led the team in shots this season with 34 with the third-most on-frame. She was a midfield maestro with three assists on the season, best for third most on the team. The junior from California logged 986 of disruption for the Lion defense as she broke down opposing offenses with her defensive play.
Nieroda, a fine arts major with a minor in business, made 10 starts this season for the most in her career. The junior midfielder was known for her vicious slide tackles which wiped away hope for opposing goal scorers. The Illinois native had nine shots this season with four on-goal.
Owens, a finance major with a minor in economics, was a mainstay at center forward for the Lions this year. She logged 785 minutes across 16 starts where she scored two goals and had 11 shots on goal. Both of her goals came in conference play, one against her former school Austin Peay and one at Little Rock.
Smith, a nursing major, was part of a backline with Ford and Speight that had the most shutouts through conference play this season with four. The Birmingham native was one of three Lions named to the Preseason All-UAC team alongside Speight and
Avery Stojakovich. Smith helped limit opposing shot creators as the team did not allow double-digit shots on-goal from any conference opponent this year.
"It is exciting to see the ladies get rewarded for their performances, on and off the field," said UNA head coach
Chris Walker. "They have all excelled in the classroom and performed at a high standard on the pitch. Proud of Gizelle, Lilly, Emerson, Alana, Avery and Addie for earning All-UAC Academic Team honors. They have showed the success on the field and now this award displays the success in the classroom. Roar Lions!"
All six were key contributors to the Lions' 2026 regular season, which ended with an 7-4-6 record and with the team's first postseason berth as a member of the newly-formed UAC. The team recorded six shutouts, including one that gave Walker his 112th career win which made him North Alabama's all-time winningest coach.
The Lions compete against No. 3 Central Arkansas in the UAC Postseason Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. in Conway, Ark. At the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex.
2026 Women's Soccer Academic All-UAC
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Megan Moudy, Central Arkansas
