Dec. 15, 2011

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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior forward Kayla Grimsley and freshman goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo picked up two more national postseason honors Thursday after being selected as MVP’s by Soccer America, the premier soccer organization’s equivalent to All-America honors.

Grimsley was named to the Soccer America 2011 MVP’s Second Team as one of 22 players across the nation to earn postseason distinction by the organization. D’Angelo was the lone goalkeeper selected to the All-Freshman First Team. Grimsley and D’Angelo were the only players from the SEC represented on either list by Soccer America, and the awards mark the first time a Gamecock has been honored by the organization as postseason Soccer America MVP’s.

“I’m really proud of their accomplishments,” South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith said. “I’m very happy for Kayla to finish her career the way she did; to be an All-American and earn those honors by her performance over her career. I’m equally impressed by Sabrina’s accomplishments as a freshman. To get these kinds of accolades in her first year just shows how respected she is. We are excited to see how much she continues to grow as a player over her time at South Carolina, and I’m sure more honors will be earned by her play in the future.”

Grimsley’s selection comes after being named an NSCAA All-American and the SEC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. She set the South Carolina program record for career points after a 10-goal, 10-assist campaign that moved her to career marks of 43 goals and 33 assists for 119 points. Grimsley finished the season eighth on the NCAA active list for career points and was the only active player in the NCAA with 40 goals and 30 assists in her career. She concludes her career with 27 school records to her name, including career points, career assists, single-season points and single-game assists.

D’Angelo was named to the NSCAA All-South Region first team, and was picked as SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year after solidifying herself as the goalkeeper of the year in the SEC as a freshman. D’Angelo was the first player in SEC history to earn two Player of the Year honors in the same season, and she was the only freshman named to the First Team All-SEC list. She finished the season fifth among the nation’s freshmen in goals against average (0.80) and 10th in save percentage (.824). D’Angelo was the SEC’s leader in goals against average and set the South Carolina freshman records for goals against average, save percentage, matches played and matches started.

2011 Soccer America First Team MVP’s

2011 Soccer America Second Team MVP’s

2011 Soccer America All-Freshman First Team