ATHENS, Tenn. - Truett McConnell women's soccer landed three players in the Appalachian Athletic Conference 2026 awards as well as five players on the All-Conference First-Team list and three players on the All-Conference Second-Team list.
 
With 33 total points on the season, Isabella Hodson has been named the 2026 AAC Offensive Player of the Year. It is the captains first-career yearly honor from the conference. Hodson also collected the 2026 Golden Boot award with her 11 goals in AAC play.
 
For the second consecutive season, Erin Ward has been named the 2026 AAC Defensive Player of the Year. The captain managed a backline which only allowed one goal throughout the entirety of conference play and recently forced a shutout of 3-0 vs. Pikeville last Saturday to advance the Lady Bears to the AAC Tournament Final.
 
Head coach David McDowell is the Coach of the Year for 2026, marking the fifth time in his career he has won the award. It also marks three of the past five AAC Coach of the Year awards going to McDowell.
 
The All-AAC First-Team features returners Hodson, Ward and Evangelina Seidel while also having newcomers Joanna Funes and Morgan Morreale make the team. TMU landed three on the second team with Isabelle Allen, Grace Montgomery and Salome Deneubourg. Alli Jones represented the club on the Champions of Character Team as 18 players were selected to the All-Academic Team.
 
The full list of AAC awards can be viewed by using the attached link. TMU selections are listed below.
 
2026 AAC AWARDS (TMU only)
Offensive Player of the Year: Isabella Hodson
Defensive Player of the Year: Erin Ward
Golden Boot: Isabella Hodson
Coach of the Year: David McDowell
All-AAC First-Team
Isabella Hodson, Joanna Funes, Evangelina Seidel, Morgan Morreale, Erin Ward
All-AAC Second-Team
Isabelle Allen, Grace Montgomery, Salome Deneubourg
Champion of Character: Alli Jones
All-Academic Team: Isabelle Allen, Peyton Brooks, Autumn Brown, Lillian Colquitt, Salome Deneubourg, Joanna Funes, Isabella Hodson, Alli Jones, Ariana Mandelka, Kate Mitchell, Grace Montgomery, Eva Mordick, Morgan Morreale, Maci Nicklas, Nela Sechterova, Evangelina Seidel, Shaniyah Sood, Erin Ward