ASU Soccer forward named Big 12 Freshman of the Year

(Photo by: Sam Farsky/WCSN)

Ahead of the Arizona State soccer team’s matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first round of the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship, the Big 12 announced its all-conference teams and awards. Multiple Sun Devils were recognized, earning two spots on the All-Big 12 teams.

Freshman forward Kierra Blundell was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year, as she led all first-year players in goals and assists, with eight and six respectively. This season, Blundell scored the program’s first hat trick since Nicole Douglas scored four against Oregon in 2022. Blundell was also one of three players to be named to the All-Freshman team and an All-Big 12 team, making the list of star newcomers as well as the all-conference second team. Despite this being her first collegiate season, Blundell was a heavy contributor as she started 16 of the Sun Devils’ 18 games.

Joining Blundell on the All-Big 12 Second Team is junior midfielder Enasia Colon. Colon notched seven goals and seven assists this season, following up her sophomore season where she had nine and four respectively, which earned her All-Pac-12 Second team honors in 2023. Colon’s highlight of this season was her performance against Cincinnati, where she contributed to all three goals, scoring once and assisting twice. Colon was another mainstay in the starting lineup for ASU, as she started in 17 of her 18 appearances, a similar feat to last season when she started in 20 matches.

The tandem of Colon and Blundell will have to continue this good form into the Big 12 tournament, as it proves to be the only viable path to a berth in the NCAA tournament. The Sun Devils’ round matchup has them take on Kansas at 3:15 PM AZT on Wednesday.