Nov. 2, 2017
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Thursday that four University of Notre Dame women’s soccer players have received All-ACC accolades.
Graduate student Sandra Yu was named to the conference’s first team, while sophomore Natalie Jacobs earned second-team honors and sophomore Jennifer Westendorf received third-team honors. Freshman Sammi Fisher also was named to the All-Freshman Team.
Yu’s ACC first-team honor arrives in the midst of a career season for the midfielder. Yu, who was named to the All-ACC Third Team in 2016, returned to the program as a graduate student this fall and has recorded a career-high 19 points in 2017. The Strongsville, Ohio, native already has doubled her previous career high in points (eight) with seven goals and five assists.
Yu, who has started all of Notre Dame’s games over the past two-plus seasons (2015-17) and captained back-to-back Irish squads, owns 31 career points and 12 goals.
Jacobs has had a breakout season at the forward position, totaling a team-high 26 points, which ranks fifth in the conference this season. The sophomore’s three game-winning goals are the most on Notre Dame’s roster. Jacobs, who was the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 11, paces the Irish with 10 goals.
Jacobs adds the all-conference honor to a resume that also includes a nod to the All-Freshman Team in 2015.
Westendorf has turned in her best season in an Irish uniform thus far, recording a career-high 25 points on nine goals and seven assists. Westendorf’s two goals, both coming on free kicks, against No. 18 Florida State helped the Irish to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in Tallahassee, Florida, on Oct. 19. Following her performance, the Grayson, Georgia, native was selected as the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 24.
The accolade marks the second in as many years for Westendorf, who was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and the conference’s All-Freshman Team in 2016.
Fisher enters the conversation following a statement year in the attacking midfield role. In 17 games played, Fisher has recorded seven points on three goals and an assist. Hailing from Simi Valley, California, Fisher also contributed two goals in Notre Dame’s 4-3 win over the Seminoles.
The ACC’s head coaches selected 11 student-athletes to be named to each team, with the exception of the third team, which features 12 members due to a tie in voting.
Yu and Westendorf were selected to the Preseason All-ACC team, leaving the Irish tied with North Carolina for the second-most preseason selections.
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Complete All-ACC Teams
First Team
Imani Dorsey, Sr., F, Duke
Rebecca Quinn, Sr., M, Duke
Kayla McCoy, Jr., F, Duke
Schuyler DeBree, Sr., D, Duke
EJ Proctor, Sr., GK, Duke
Deyna Castellanos, So., F, Florida State
Natalia Kuikka, Jr., D, Florida State
Alessia Russo, Fr., F, North Carolina
Tziarra King, So., M, NC State
Sandra Yu, GS, M, Notre Dame
Veronica Latsko, Sr., F, Virginia
Second Team
Sam Staab, Jr., D, Clemson
Ella Stevens, So., F, Duke
Taylor Racioppi, Jr., F, Duke
Emina Ekic, Fr., M, Louisville
Joanna Boyles, Sr., M, North Carolina
Dorian Bailey, Jr., M, North Carolina
Julia Ashley, Jr., D, North Carolina
Natalie Jacobs, So., F, Notre Dame
Megan Reid, Sr., D, Virginia
Maddie Huster, Sr., M, Wake Forest
Lindsay Preston, Sr., GK, Wake Forest
Third Team
Samantha Coffey, Fr., M, Boston College
Ashton Miller, Sr., M, Duke
Gloriana Villalobos, Fr., M, Florida State
Jennifer Westendorf, So., F, Notre Dame
Ricci Walkling, So., M, NC State
Bridgette Andrzejewski, So., M, North Carolina
Emily Fox, Fr., M, North Carolina
Taylor Otto, R-Fr., D, North Carolina
Courtney Brosnan, Sr., GK, Syracuse
Taryn Torres, Fr., M, Virginia
Phoebe McClernon, So., D, Virginia
Bayley Feist, Jr., M, Wake Forest
*Due to a tie in voting an extra member was named to the All-ACC Third Team.
All-Freshman Team
Samantha Coffey, Fr., M, Boston College
Mariana Speckmaier, Fr., F, Clemson
Taylor Mitchell, Fr., D, Duke
Gloriana Villalobos, Fr., M, Florida State
Emina Ekic, Fr., M, Louisville
Alessia Russo, Fr., F, North Carolina
Emily Fox, Fr., M, North Carolina
Lulu Guttenberger, Fr., D, NC State
Sammi Fisher, Fr., M, Notre Dame
Taryn Torres, Fr., M, Virginia
Vicky Krug, Fr., D, Wake Forest
–ND–
Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.