Tech picked second; five earn All-Big 12 honors
August 05, 2025 | Women's Soccer
The Red Raiders saw a league-best five players named Preseason All-Big 12 as the squad was predicted second for the second-straight season
IRVING, Texas – Fresh off another 15-win season and a Round of 32 appearance, Texas Tech Soccer was picked second in the preseason Big 12 poll, while five student-athletes were named a Preseason All-Big 12 selection, the Big 12 Conference announced Tuesday.
After winning the 2023 Big 12 regular season championship, the Red Raiders went 8-1-2 in conference matches in 2024.
 The one conference loss for Tech came in heartbreaking fashion in the regular season finale to BYU at the John Walker Soccer Complex. After taking a 1-0 lead into the break, the Red Raiders saw BYU strike for goals in the 53rd and 90th minutes to deny Tech of a share of its second-straight regular season title.
The setback snapped Tech's 27-match (22-0-5) Big 12 unbeaten streak and the programs 20-match (19-0-1) home unbeaten streak. Despite the setback, Tech earned its third-straight top two finish. Â The Red Raiders 21 overall Big 12 wins the last three seasons are the most in the league in that span.
Also a part of Tuesday's announcement was the selection of the 2025 Preseason All-Big 12 team, as Tech saw goalkeeper Faith Nguyen, defender Macy Blackburn, midfielders Sam Courtwright and Peyton Parsons as well as forward Taylor Zdrojewski all earn preseason recognition.
The Red Raiders five selections were tied (BYU) for the most honors in the conference, while Tech was also the only team in the Big 12 to see a player named Preseason All-Conference at each of the four positions on the field (GK, D, MF and F).
A two-time Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week and First Team All-Big 12 selection, Nguyen earned All-Big 12 honors after a strong first campaign in Lubbock that saw the goalkeeper record 13 total wins and 10 clean sheets. Nguyen's goals-against-average was a paltry 0.91 as the goalkeeper made 61 saves in her 20 matches, including 14 in the two NCAA Tournament matches against LSU and No. 1 Duke.
Nguyen's 10 total clean sheets were the fifth-most in a single season by a Red Raider goalkeeper.
Back for her fifth and final season in the Scarlett and Black after missing the end of the 2023 season and beginning of the 2024 season, Blackburn earned Preseason All-Big 12 honors for the second-straight season and third time in her career. The Keller native was also a First Team All-American in 2024.
The all-time assist leader in Texas Tech history, Blackburn enters the 2025 season with 33 total assists after recording 21 of those the last two seasons in just 34 matches played. The Red Raiders are now 14-1-1 the last two seasons when Blackburn records at least one assist and are 22-1-2 all-time in the 25 matches that she tallies an assist.
Tech's third preseason honoree is also looking to make a return from injury in 2025, as redshirt sophomore Sam Courtwright was also honored on Tuesday.
Back after missing the entire 2024 season and the 2024 U-19 FIFA World Cup after being named to the U.S. Soccer roster, Courtwright will look to build upon a 2023 freshman campaign that saw the Dallas native take home Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, First Team Freshman All-America status and Third Team All-America honors, as Courtwright became the first freshman to earn full All-America status in program history.
A breakout star in the Red Raiders 2024 campaign, Parsons saw her name included on the Preseason All-Big 12 squad for the first time in her career. A 2024 First Team All-Big 12 selection, Parsons scored nine goals and tallied five assists including a team-best four game-winning goals. Parsons scored five of her nine goals in a two-match span as she recorded his first career hat trick in a 4-0 win over Weber State before scoring twice in the 5-0 win over Oral Roberts.
The fifth and final Red Raider to earn a preseason nod, Zdrojewski, also had a career year in 2024 scoring a team-best 10 goals and tallying four assists. After missing the final three months of the 2022 season after suffering a catastrophic knee injury at Fullerton, Zdrojewski broke out in 2024, tallying the first 10 goals of her career including a goal in the NCAA Tournament win over LSU.
The rising junior played in all 22 games for the Red Raiders in 2024 and earned Second Team All-Big 12 acclaim.
Picked second for the second-straight season, the Red Raiders finished with 202 total points and two first place votes, just 21 points behind preseason-favorite TCU who took home 13 of the leagues 16 first place votes. The Red Raiders will play host to the Horned Frogs on Friday night Oct. 10.
The Red Raiders finished 11 points ahead of third place BYU, who earned one first place vote and 191 total points. West Virginia (172), Kansas (167), Colorado (155), Oklahoma State (153), Arizona (113), Utah (112) and Baylor (108) rounded out the top-10. Arizona State (98), UCF (72), Cincinnati (57), Iowa State (40), Houston (38) and K-State (19) round out the 16-team poll.
Texas Tech heads to Denver on Thursday (Aug. 7) for the annual exhibition contest at DU before the season opener arrives one week later (Aug. 14).
2025 Big 12 Soccer Preseason Poll:
- TCU (13) – 223Â
- Texas Tech (2) – 202Â
- BYU (1) – 191Â
- West Virginia – 172Â
- Kansas – 167Â
- Colorado – 155Â
- Oklahoma State – 153Â
- Arizona – 113
- Utah – 112
- Baylor – 108
- Arizona State – 98
- UCF – 72
- Cincinnati – 57Â
- Iowa State – 40
- Houston – 38
- K-State – 19Â
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2025 Big 12 Soccer Preseason Team:Â Â
GKÂ Â Â Â Â Jordan Nytes, Colorado, Sr.
GKÂ Â Â Â Â Faith Nguyen, Texas Tech, Sr.
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Avery Frischknecht, BYU, Jr.
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Izzi Stratton, BYU, Jr.
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Faith Leyba, Colorado, Jr.
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Caroline Castans, Kansas, Jr. Â
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Jazmin Brown, Oklahoma State, Sr.
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Cameron Patton, TCU, So.Â
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Macy Blackburn, Texas Tech, Gr.
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Lucy Kessler, BYU, So.
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Mika Krommenhoek, BYU, So.Â
MF Â Â Â Ava Priest, Colorado, Jr.
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Mackenzee Vance, BYU, Sr.
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Xcaret Pineda, Oklahoma State, Sr.
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Laudan Wilson, Oklahoma State, Jr.Â
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Morgan Brown, TCU, So.
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Sam Courtwright, Texas Tech, R-So.
MFÂ Â Â Â Â Peyton Parsons, Texas Tech, Sr.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Kierra Blundell, Arizona State, So.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Tyler Isgrig, Baylor, Sr.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Hope Leyba, Colorado, Jr.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Lexi Watts, Kansas, Sr.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Saige Wimes, Kansas, R-Jr.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Seven Castain, TCU, Sr.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Bella Diorio, TCU, Jr.
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Taylor Zdrojewski, Texas Tech, Jr.Â
FÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Ajanae Respass, West Virginia, Sr
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