Massey Receives First-Team Academic All-American Recognition

CoSIDA Release | TU Honors Page

UPLAND, Ind. – The College Sports Information Directors of America have voted on and announced the 2021 NAIA Women's Soccer Academic All-American teams, on which Taylor senior Riley Massey was honored as a First-Team selection.

The native of Loveland, Ohio, is just the fifth player in Taylor women's soccer program-history to be named a First-Team Academic All-American.

Massey's national recognition marks the 10th time that a Taylor women's soccer player has been honored with either a First or Second-Team Academic All-American nod.

The senior exercise science major was previously recognized as a Second-Team Academic All-American at the end of the 2019 season. Massey now joins Amanda Roden and Lauren Engelkes as one of just three Taylor women's soccer players to have earned two Academic All-American awards in their collegiate careers.

TU's rock-solid defender maintained a 3.96 grade-point average throughout her exercise science course load, all the while leading a Trojan defense that posted a league-leading 13 shutouts and the league's second fewest goals allowed.

Massey started 66 of 68 career games in the Trojan backline, yet her strong right leg also consistently proved to be a weapon on the offensive end as witnessed to by a total of seven career goals.

Massey was accompanied by Taylor men's soccer player, Quinn Partain, on the Academic All-American team, which now gives Taylor a total of 100 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in school history, 98 of which have come since 2010.

Furthermore, with Massey's award TU athletes now boast a total of 52 First-Team Academic All-American awards.

The CoSIDA Academic All-American award is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom, as well as on the court or field of play. In order to be eligible for the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30, must have reached sophomore status academically with at least one full year at their current institution and must have participated in over half of the team's competitions as a key contributor during the current season.

Student-athletes are nominated for the award by their institution's Sports Information Department and voted on by members of CoSIDA.