BYU’s Avery Frischknecht (co-defensive), UCF’s Taylor Jacobson (co-defensive), Colorado’s Jordan Nytes (goalkeeper), Kansas’ Jillian Gregorski (freshman) and Utah’s Taliana Kaufusi (offensive) earned Week 5’s honors of the 2024 Big 12 soccer season.
Kaufusi registered her second hat trick this season, helping the Utes defeat Idaho State 4-1 on Sunday. The three-goal performance was her second in 14 days (Sept. 1), which marked her as the second Utah player to post multiple hat tricks in the same season. The graduate student forward also tallied an assist during the team’s first Big 12 match, claiming a 1-0 victory over Arizona.
Frischknecht helped the Cougars shut out Arizona State in the conference opener while she scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory. The BYU defense held the Sun Devils to eight shots with two landing on target. The goal was the sophomore’s first collegiate career as she earned her first career Big 12 weekly award for her performance.
Jacobson and UCF held Houston scoreless as the Knights earned their first Big 12 win of the season. While the UCF defense only allowed nine shots from the Cougars, the senior defender helped on the offensive end in the 5-0 win. The Knights had a corner kick in the first half that Jacobson converted as their second goal of the match. It is her first Big 12 accolade and is the second Defensive Player of the Week award picked up by a Knight this season.
Nytes picked up her second consecutive goalkeeper weekly award following her sixth shutout of the season. The junior grabbed five saves as the Buffaloes tallied a 1-0 win over K-State in the first meeting between the teams. The win marked her fifth straight clean sheet, tying a program record. Nytes enters Week 6 ranked nationally at No. 9 with a save percentage of .930.
Gregorski became the second straight Jayhawk to secure the Freshman of the Week title this season as she recorded six points last week. Her points were the second-most registered by a Big 12 player during Week 5. During KU’s 5-1 win over Friends University, she posted a hat trick on four shots in 42 minutes. The feat marked her as the ninth Jayhawk to achieve a hat trick while being the second freshman to do so. She follows former KU player Monica Brothers as a freshman to score a hat trick in program history, who also earned the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week award (now Freshman) following her three-goal performance (Oct. 2, 2001).
Offensive Player of the Week
Taliana Kaufusi, Utah, F, Gr.
Defensive Players of the Week
Avery Frischknecht, BYU, D, So.
Taylor Jacobson, UCF, D, Sr.
Goalkeeper of the Week
Jordan Nytes, Colorado, Jr.
Freshman of the Week
Jillian Gregorski, Kansas, MF