GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Announced today by the Atlantic Coast Conference, Virginia Tech freshman goalkeeper Alia Skinner has been chosen as the ACC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week after helping the Hokies to their first win of the season on Sunday.
With the honor, she becomes the fourth Tech freshman to garner either an offensive or defensive weekly award since the Hokies joined the ACC, but the first goalkeeper as the other three were forwards – Ashley Stinson, Sept. 4, 2004; Marika Gray, Sept. 10, 2007; and Nicole Kozlova, Sept. 10, 2019.
Skinner posted her first collegiate shutout in the win as the Hokies recorded the 2-0 upset victory over 14th-ranked Pittsburgh on Sunday. She had a career-best 12 saves in the contest, headlined by seven in the first half and, after Tech's first goal in the 76th minute, she had to make three more saves over the next 10 minutes before the Hokies iced the match with an insurance goal in the 89th minute.
Her 12 saves are the most ever for a Tech goalkeeper in an ACC game, the third-most in the last 23 years of Tech women's soccer and the most since Robin Chidester had 13 saves versus No. 4 Stanford on Sept. 6, 2009.
The Fleming Island, Florida native leads the conference with 43 saves this season, and her 12 saves versus the Panthers are the most by an ACC player this year. She also leads the nation with an 8.60 saves per game average while overall total is second to Texas State's Beth Agee, who has 55 in 10 matches this year.
The Hokies are back in action this upcoming Friday when they head out on the road to take on the 11th-ranked Duke Blue Devils on Friday night at 7 p.m. – a non-conference contest.