FARMINGTON, Utah (November 10, 2026) – Redshirt freshman
Brooklyn Jones has been named the 2026 Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Year and will share Top Newcomer of the Year with two other players, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon. Jones is one of seven Lumberjack Soccer members named All-Conference honorees.
Micala Boex and
Valerie Llamas received First Team All-Conference, while Jones was listed Second Team in addition to her pair of individual awards. Joining her on the second team are goalkeeper
Lexi Saveski and forward
Ava Hinske, who both collect their first All-Conference honors. Rounding out the awards on the Honorable Mention list are defender
Madison Schenk and midfielder
Kristen Puels.
The seven All-Conference selections are the most for NAU since 2023, and Jones' laurels mark the fifth straight year a Lumberjack has received an individual award from the league.
Jones is the fourth player in program history to receive Defensive Player of the Year, and the second to earn Top Newcomer. The native of San Tan Valley, Ariz., arrived in Flagstaff last spring after redshirting her freshman season at App State. Jones has started in all but one of 17 game appearances and served a crucial role in the Lumberjack backline this season, playing all 90 minutes in eight contests while contributing to eight shutouts. She recorded her first career assist against Idaho on Oct. 11.
Boex receives her first nod to the First Team, following a 2025 season where she captured Co-Offensive MVP and Second Team honors. She was the focal point of NAU's attack all season long and has recorded seven goals and five assists. Boex collected her first multi-goal game with a brace against Nevada on Sept. 3 and tacked on the fifth and sixth games of her career with both one goal and one assist and earned Big Sky Player of the Week twice this season.
Like Boex, Llamas also leveled up from Second Team in 2025 to First Team this season. Her four goals and one assist all arrived in conference action, highlighted by a two-goal match against Utah Tech on Oct. 18. The midfielder was keen on shot selection this year as well, posting a shots on goal percentage of 0.500 or greater in nine contests.
Saveski earns the first All-Conference selection of her career, posting her best stats as the starting goalkeeper in 18 of 19 contests this season. The native of Gilbert, Ariz., was consistently ranked at or near the top in goals-allowed average and save percentage each week and reached as high as 10th in the country in save percentage in October. She has collected eight shutouts, ranking fifth in a single season in program history. and also earned two Big Sky Player of the Week awards during the season. She enters the postseason owning a 0.91 GAA and 0.840 save percentage, both ranking second in the league.
Hinske, Schenk, and Puels all collect the first All-Conference nods of their careers. Hinske transferred to her home state and NAU after spending her rookie campaign at Eastern Washington and made an immediate impact, scoring the 'Jacks first goal of the season against UC Riverside on Aug. 12. The forward was a key part of NAU's deep attack throughout the year, and especially in conference play as she started in all nine league matches. Hinske enters the postseason with three goals and two assists, and highlighted conference action with a one-goal, one-assist effort against Portland State on Oct. 25.
After being sidelined all of 2025 due to injury, Schenk returned to the pitch to start in 14 of 17 game appearances in 2026. Her best ability may have been her availability this season, as she recorded 90 minutes in 12 matches, including a stretch of 11 straight from the end of August into mid-October. Schenk broke into the scoring column in highlight fashion on Oct. 11 against Idaho, using her head and connecting with Jones on a free kick to put the ball into the net. Overall, she has been a part of nine shutouts.
Puels was also one of NAU's most available players, as she started in 18 or 19 appearances in the midfield. She tallied one goal and two assists on the season while playing a key role in nine shutouts, and was involved in several moments not found on the stat sheet that preserved wins or led to goals in clutch moments.
The Lumberjacks begin the 2026 Big Sky Championships on Wednesday, Nov. 11 in Missoula, Mont., taking No. 6 Idaho State in the quarterfinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 am MST and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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