ARLINGTON, Texas (August 24, 2026) – The University of North Alabama earned two United Athletic Conference weekly awards for women's soccer this week with both Anna Fugarino and Avery Smith, the league announced Monday.
 
Fugarino, a junior forward, won UAC Player of the Week after her two-goal brace against Tennessee Tech on Sunday. Junior defender Smith won UAC Defender of the Week where she led the Lions earn their first shutout of the season against the Golden Eagles.
 
This is the first time since 2022 that two or more Lions have won conference weekly awards in the same week. Alice Bussey, Izzi Gurney-Harper and Payton Yates swept the ASUN weekly awards on August 23 of that season.
 
Fugarino, a Medina, Ohio native, earned five points this week after she claimed an assist against Union and nailing two goals on two shots against Tennessee Tech. The junior has a perfect shot on goal percentage at 1.000 through the two matchups this week.
 
Before this season, the forward's brace on Sunday became the first for a Lion since 2023. Fugarino and Parker Martin became the first Lion duo to have back-to-back games with a brace since Bussey and Chloe Fell in 2022.
 
Smith, a Birmingham, Ala. native, was a mainstay in opposing passing lanes. Over her 164 minutes played this week, she helped push off 10 shots between the 6-1 win over Union and the first shutout of the season against Tennessee Tech, 2-0. The junior right back also propelled the offense as she tallied two assists with one in each game.
 
This is the first award for both players in their careers at North Alabama.

This is the first two weekly awards for any North Alabama athletic program in the newly-constructed UAC, excluding football. Over eight seasons in the ASUN, the Lions accumulated 15 conference weekly awards over nine different players. Bussey and Yates led all players with three weekly wards each.

"I'm really proud of how these two played this past week," said head coach Chris Walker. "I'm really pleased for Anna and her two goals on Sunday and thought Avery played extremely well as our backline helped earn the first shutout of the season. Both players are extremely deserving of this award after the big weeks that they had. These two provide excellent leadership and energy for our team."

The Lions get a week to rest before battling Southeast Missouri on Sunday, August 30 at 1 p.m. at Cox Creek Sports Complex.
 
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