Colorado and Texas Tech split 2026 Big 12 Soccer Player of the Year honors, while BYU head coach Jennifer Rockwood claimed the league’s Coach of the Year title. Awards were voted on by the league’s head coaches, who were prohibited from voting for their own players.
The Buffaloes claimed three unanimous position awards: Reagan Kotschau (midfielder), Faith Leyba (defender) and Brooke Goerish (freshman) while Texas Tech’s Taylor Zdrojewski captured this season‘s Forward and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards and teammate Addie Todd earned Goalkeeper of the Year.
Kotschau led all Big 12 players in assists (7), ranked second in points (17) and tied for third in goals (5) during Conference play. The senior posted the most points (32) and tied as the league’s leader in assists (12) through the whole season. Kotschau etched her name in the CU record book after breaking the school’s single-season assist record and becoming the first Buff to reach double figures in goals and assists in the same season. She is the second CU midfielder to claim a Big 12 yearly honor after Fran Munnelly claimed the league’s Player of the Year honor in 2003.
Leyba helped the CU backline secure seven shutouts in Big 12 play and 12 shutouts in 2026. The Buffaloes’ defense held league opponents to just eight goals, the fewest allowed in the 11-game slate. Leyba, the team’s leader in minutes, played 1,606 minutes and totaled eight points with three goals and two assists in 19 matches. Leyba is the second Buffalo to capture the Conference’s Defender of the Year award (2008).
Goerish rounds out CU’s yearly awards by being tabbed as the league’s best first-year player. She entered her collegiate debut season following in the footsteps of three-time Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year Jordan Nytes as the league’s leader with an .863 save percentage and a .65 goals-against average during Conference play. Goerish played every game in net for CU and earned 15 starts this season. The freshman goalkeeper was honored with a Big 12 weekly award twice this season, the only Buffalo to do so. With CU capturing three honors this season, the Buffaloes have claimed each of Big 12 soccer’s individual player awards in the last two seasons.
Zdrojewski’s nine goals and 20 points were the most recorded by any league player during Conference play. Her 13 goals tied for the most scored by Big 12 players and are tied for 18th nationally this season. Zdrojewski enters the 2026 postseason four goals away from surpassing her 16 a season ago, which sits No. 3 in the TTU record book. The Celina, Texas native was also named the 2026 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year as she earned a 4.0 while studying architecture. Zdrojewski is the first Red Raider offensive player since 2021 to win a league yearly award and is the program’s fifth overall Scholar-Athlete award recipient.
Coach Rockwood led BYU to its first Big 12 regular season title after the Cougars posted an 8-1-2 record during league play. The crown marked her 18th regular season title as she announced her retirement following the conclusion of the 2026 season. Rockwood has been BYU’s only coach since becoming a DI program, amassing 487 wins in 32 seasons.
BYU and Baylor led all teams with a combined nine selections on the league’s First, Second and All-Freshmen Teams. Colorado tallied eight while Texas Tech earned six selections. Houston, Kansas and West Virginia had four, Arizona State and UCF garnered three, Oklahoma State and TCU gathered two and Cincinnati had one selection.
The 2026 Big 12 Soccer Tournament presented by Allstate begins Monday, Nov. 9 and ends Saturday, Nov. 14, held at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium. Tournament information can be found here, and all games will be on ESPN+.
2026 All-Big 12 Awards
Forward of the Year: Taylor Zdrojewski, Texas Tech*
Midfielder of the Year: Reagan Kotschau, Colorado*
Defender of the Year: Faith Leyba, Colorado*
Goalkeeper of the Year: Addie Todd, Texas Tech
Freshman of the Year: Brooke Goerish, Colorado*
Coach of the Year: Jennifer Rockwood, BYU
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Taylor Zdrojewski, Texas Tech
First Team
GK Azul Alvarez, Baylor
GK Addie Todd, Texas Tech
D Presley Freeman, BYU
D Faith Leyba, Colorado*
D Ella Morgan, Houston
D Caroline Castans, Kansas
D Livvy Moore, Kansas
D Kylie Bahr, Texas Tech
D Eleanor Hays, Texas Tech
D Nyema Ingleton, West Virginia
MF Aryanna Jimison, Baylor
MF Lucy Kesler, BYU
MF Mika Krommenhoek, BYU
MF Ainsley Moy, UCF
MF Reagan Kotschau, Colorado*
MF Jillian Gregorski, Kansas
F Kierra Blundell, Arizona State
F Naomi Clark, UCF
F Hope Leyba, Colorado*
F Emma Yolinsky, TCU
F Taylor Zdrojewski, Texas Tech*
F Sophia Nickel, West Virginia
Second Team
GK Brooke Goerish, Colorado
GK Bailey Herfurth, West Virginia
D Mya Angus, Arizona State
D Natalie Vatter, Baylor
D Avery Frischknecht, BYU
D Bella Woods, BYU
D Kalena Bellini, UCF
D Caley Swierenga, Colorado
MF Olivia Hess, Baylor
MF Noelle Sather, Baylor
MF Ava Shannon, Houston
MF Laudan Wilson, Oklahoma State
MF Kamdyn Fuller, TCU
MF Raleigh Greason, Texas Tech
MF Anna Hauer, West Virginia
F Theresa McCullough, Baylor
F Lauren Omholt, Baylor
F Mia Goettsche, BYU
F Michaela McGowan, Colorado
F Bailey Cate, Houston
F Skylar Miller, Houston
F Sonora DeFini, Oklahoma State
All-Freshmen Team
Mya Angus, Arizona State
Brynnlee Bohannon, Baylor
Grace White, Baylor
Kate Fuller, BYU
Anna Neff, BYU
Sydney Snow, BYU
Braelyn Even, Cincinnati
Brooke Goerish, Colorado*
Sloane Phillips, Colorado
Gianna Weiner, Kansas
Lauren Alvarez, Texas Tech
* unanimous selection