BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Gulf South Conference announced its annual women's soccer postseason awards and all-conference teams for the 2023 season, as voted by the league's head coaches. 

The Lady Choctaws placed four on the GSC All-Conference teams with Erin Hederman, Emma Young, and Margherita Giubilato receiving 1st Team All-Conference honors, while Eduarda Silva was named to the GSC 2nd Team All-Conference list.

Erin tallied over 840 minutes on the pitch while leading the Lady Choctaws with six goals and eight assists, including breaking the All-Time Career assists record back at home on Oct. 22 versus Lee. Young has guided MC defensively, leading the Lady Choctaws with 1244 minutes played while also producing two goals and four assists. 

Giubilato has captured over 934 minutes played in 2023, earning 1st team honors after finishing with four goals on the season with three assists. Silva also reached the 1000 minute mark after playing in all 14 matches, with three goals on seven total shots. 

West Florida won two of the four major awards, as redshirt-junior Mya Swinton was named the GSC Offensive Player of the Year, while head coach Joe Bartlinski won Coach of the Year award. Lee graduate Kate Dirkse was voted Defensive Player of the Year, while West Georgia rookie Katherine Hagans took home Freshman of the Year.
 
In all-conference voting, regular season champion West Florida led the conference with seven All-GSC selections, including five First-Team picks. Mississippi College, Lee, and Valdosta State were both followed with four overall selections apiece. Overall, eight teams were represented with at least one honoree.
 
Swinton, a two-time All-GSC selection, garnered the league's top offensive honors aftering finishing as season third among conference leaders scoring nine goals in 17 games. The native of Gulf Breeze, Fla., was also second in shots on goal (26), third in total points (23), sixth in game-winning goals (3), and ninth in assists with five. 
 
Dirkse was named the conference's top defensive player after appearing and starting in 15 games for the Lady Flames. The graduate led all defenders and was among the conference leaders in goals (8th/7) and points (9th/14). The Chattanooga, Tenn., native helped anchor the Lee backline lead the conference in goal differential and allowed the second-fewest goals with eight. 
 
Hagans provided an immediate impact for West Georgia and became the first Wolves athlete to earn the conference's top freshman award. A native of Jackson, Ga., Hagans had a team-high six goals and was 10th among league leaders, while ranking 14th-overall with 13 points.
 
Bartlinski was named the league's top coach for the ninth time in his 22-year career at West Florida. This is the first time since 2012-13 that Bartlinski received the award in consecutive seasons. Bartlinski led the Argonauts to back-to-back regular season titles and their 16th all-time, after posting a 12-1-0 in conference play. He also led West Florida to a 15-1-1 record overall, while it averaged 2.3 goals per game and outscoring opponents by a margin of 1.94 goal per game.
 
The GSC Women's Soccer Championship will begin Saturday, Nov. 4 with quarterfinal play on campus sites at the four highest seeds. The City of Huntsville and John Hunt Park will serve as host for the tournament's final two rounds. For more information about the tournament, click here to visit championship central.
 
2023 GSC WOMEN'S SOCCER AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year: Mya Swinton, West Florida
Defensive Player of the Year: Kate Dirkse, Lee
Freshman of the Year: Katherine Hagans, West Georgia
Coach of the Year: Joe Bartlinski, West Florida
 
FIRST TEAM
Maciah Lipsey, Gr., GK, West Florida*
Kate Dirkse, Gr., D,  Lee*
Kendall Blackmon, Jr., D, West Florida
Emma Young, Sr., D, Mississippi College*#
Manami Okada, R-Sr., M, West Florida*
Alaysia Nye, So., M, Lee
Margherita Giubilato, Sr., M, Mississippi College
Juliana Lopes, So., M, Lee
Grace Berry, So., M, Lee
Mya Swinton, R-Jr., F, West Florida^
Erin Hederman, Sr., F, Mississippi College*
Emma Beltz, Jr., F, West Florida

SECOND TEAM
Rylee Iorio, Gr., GK, Union
Taylor Morris, Sr., D, Valdosta State^!
Samantha Worley, Jr., D, Valdosta State
Eduarda Silva, So., D, Mississippi College
Poppy Binding, R-Jr., M, Spring Hill
Ahnalie Layman, Jr., M, West Florida
Kaeri Ward, Gr., M, Montevallo
Bela Labovic, Jr., M, West Florida
Ana Moleka, Jr., F, Valdosta State
Carmen Endicott, Sr., F, Alabama Huntsville^
Molly Wooldridge, Jr., F, Valdosta State!
Jayla Gillespie, Sr., F, Alabama Huntsville^

* - First Team All-GSC in 2022
^ - Second Team All-GSC in 2022
# - First Team All-GSC in 2021
! - Second Team All-GSC in 2021