IRVING, Texas — No. 11 BYU women’s soccer junior Avery Frischknecht was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, while Paiton Collins earned Co-Goalkeeper of the Week, the league announced Wednesday.
No. 11 BYU opened a five-game home stand on Saturday, Aug. 23 against then-No. 4 UCLA. With a successful penalty kick by Ellie Walbruch in the 14th minute, the Cougars earned their second victory against a ranked opponent of the season.
Frischknecht, one of BYU’s captains, started and played the full game against UCLA on Saturday evening. As a key defender in the center back position, she got two shots off her head, forcing UCLA’s keeper to make diving saves. She was a major part of BYU’s defensive presence that held UCLA to just three shots on goal. This is her second career Big 12 honor, previously earning a defensive weekly honor last season.
Sophomore Collins started and played in her first home match on South Field as a Cougar. She had three crucial saves to tally her first-ever clean sheet as a goalkeeper for BYU. Collins joined Baylor’s Azul Alvarez as co-Goalkeepers of the Week. Collins is the second BYU goalkeeper to earn the league's weekly award for keepers since joining the Conference in 2023.