NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s soccer garnered three major awards and had six representatives on the All-Sun Belt Conference Teams, as the league announced its end-of-season awards on Sunday afternoon.
Ginny Lackey took home two major awards in addition to being named to the All-Conference First Team, as she was named the Player and Freshman of the Year, while head coach Joshua Walters, Sr. was named Coach of the Year. Joining Lackey on the first team are redshirt senior Lexi Vanderlinden and junior Jordan Yang. Senior Amanda Attanasi and junior Jamie Swartz received Second Team nods.
It is the first time since 2016 that JMU has claimed both the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards, being won respectively by Ashley Herndon and Haley Crawford. The six all-conference selections are tied for the most in a season in program history and marks a fourth straight season of the Dukes having at least three selections.
Walters received his second career Coach of the Year honor after leading JMU to its first Sun Belt regular season title with an 8-0-2 record. It is the second time in program history that the Dukes went undefeated in league play and first since 1996. JMU closed the regular season on an eleven-match unbeaten streak, scoring at least two goals in all but one match. The Dukes led the conference in total goals (38) and total assists, as the 49 helpers currently rank fourth in program history.
Playing in 12 matches, Lackey became the first player in program history to win both Player and Freshman of the Year in the same season and the first freshman to be placed on the All-Conference First Team. The forward leads the Sun Belt in goals (11), goals per game (0.92), points per game (2.42) and game-winning goals (five), and is tied for the lead in points (29) while also ranking second among freshmen nationally in goals. She broke the program record for consecutive matches with a point, scoring a point in 10 straight, and tied the program record of nine consecutive matches scoring a goal. Lackey was nationally recognized by TopDrawerSoccer, as the outlet ranked her 24th on its Midseason Freshmen Top 100 list.
Starting in the midfield all season, Vanderlinden led the league in assists (nine) and assist per game (0.529) with seven of the nine coming in Sun Belt play. It is her second career All-Sun Belt honor and third league recognition as she was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. The nine assists bring her career total to 24 which is tied for eighth in a JMU career. The redshirt senior also scored a pair of goals during the season, as she tallied 13 points.
Playing along the backline, Yang earned the first All-Sun Belt nod of her career. She anchored a defense that recorded five shutouts during the season, including three in a span of four matches during conference play. The defender aided on the offensive side of the ball as well, recording five assists. The five assists are tied for the second most on the team and tied for the sixth most in the Sun Belt.
Attanasi receives her first nod to an All-Conference Team since receiving All-CAA Third Team and Rookie Team in 2021. The forward was lethal at times on the pitch, as she racked up eight of her nine goals for the season in conference play. Her nine goals are tied for the fifth most in the Sun Belt and she added three assists during the year to rank her tied for fourth in the league in points with 21. She ended the regular season by scoring a goal in four consecutive matches, beginning the streak with her second career brace. In a JMU career, the forward currently sits 11th in goals (27) and 13th in points (67).
Swartz became one of JMU’s most versatile players during the season, earning her first career all-conference laurel. The Palmyra, Pa. native had three assists and a goal for a total of five points, all the first of her career. The defender aided the Dukes to five shutouts during the season, allowing just the fifth-lowest goals once the season turned to conference action.
The top-seeded Dukes will begin Sun Belt Championship play on Monday, Nov. 4 when they take on eighth-seeded ULM in the quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex. All games during the tournament in Foley, Ala. will be streamed on ESPN+.
— JMU Athletics —
