Florida’s Kai Tsakiris Earns All-SEC Soccer Honors

Florida’s Kai Tsakiris earns spots on All-SEC and SEC Freshman Teams

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida soccer standout Kai Tsakiris, the Gators’ leader in goals, assists, and points, has been recognized with All-Southeastern Conference and SEC All-Freshman honors, the league office announced Thursday morning.

Tsakiris is one of only four freshmen across the conference to earn All-SEC recognition, landing a spot on the All-SEC Third Team. She joins fellow first-year honorees Vailana Tu’ua of Arkansas, Ava McDonald of Texas (Second Team) and Sariyah Bailey of LSU (Third Team).

Just before Tsakiris of Newport Beach, Calif., started her collegiate career in August, she was named the ECNL U18/19 National Player of the Year.<https://x.com/ECNLgirls/status/1956116171758965098>

Next up, the Gators head to Pensacola, Fla., for the SEC Tournament. UF opens tournament action Sunday at 3 p.m. versus Kentucky<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/774007c4-b4ef-4aed-b0c3-2cabe27a5320>. All SEC Soccer Tournament action can be found on the SEC Network.

Here’s a look at Tsakiris’ season notes:

All-SEC Third Team | All-SEC Freshman Team:

Kai Tsakiris – Midfield

· Leads Florida in points (13) and assists (5). Shares goals lead (4).

· Sept. 29 co-SEC Freshman of the Week after drawing penalty kick and successfully converting kick for third goal of season.<https://floridagators.com/news/2025/9/29/soccer-sec-freshman-player-of-the-week-honors-for-kai-tsakiris>

· First collegiate goal off a free kick versus North Florida<https://x.com/GatorsSoccer/status/1959764476799898081> and added second after earning penalty kick versus No. 9 Arkansas

· Penalty kick at Texas was team-leading fourth goal of 2025

· First collegiate assist earned on Charlotte McClure’s goal at Maryland. Also earned assist on Skye Barnes’ goal at No. 24 Oklahoma, Addy Hess goal versus RV Kentucky, Sophia Sindelar’s goal versus No. 12 Mississippi State and Tatum O’Coyne’s goal at LSU.

· One of two Gators to start every match this season with top minutes (83) played versus Mississippi

In other awards announced Thursday, Colby Hale of SEC champion Arkansas was named Coach of the Year. Vanderbilt took a pair of individual honors – Sydney Watts (Forward of the Year) and Sara Wojdelko (Goalkeeper of the Year). Mississippi State’s Ally Perry is the Midfielder of the Year and South Carolina’s Gracie Falla claims the Defender of the Year honor.

Newcomer of the Year went to Alabama’s Larkin Thomason and Texas’ Ava McDonald is the Freshman of the Year. The Scholar-Athlete of the Year went to Ally Brown of Tennessee.

2025 Southeastern Conference Soccer Awards
Forward of the Year:
Sydney Watts, Vanderbilt
Midfielder of the Year:
Ally Perry, Mississippi State
Defender of the Year:
Gracie Falla, South Carolina
Goalkeeper of the Year:
Sara Wojdelko, Vanderbilt
Newcomer of the Year:
Larkin Thomason, Alabama
Freshman of the Year:
Ava McDonald, Texas
Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Ally Brown, Tennessee
Coach of the Year:
Colby Hale, Arkansas

First Team All-SEC
Forward
Katie Shea Collins
South Carolina
Forward
Ava Galligan
LSU
Forward
Gianna Paul
Alabama
Forward
Sydney Watts
Vanderbilt
Midfielder
Kennedy Ball
Arkansas
Midfielder
Summer Denigan
Georgia
Midfielder
Courtney Jones
Vanderbilt
Midfielder
Ally Perry
Mississippi State
Defender
Ally Brown
Tennessee
Defender
Hayden Colson
Auburn
Defender
Gracie Falla
South Carolina
Defender
Hannah McLaughlin
Vanderbilt
Goalkeeper
Sara Wojdelko
Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC
Forward
Bella Field
Arkansas
Forward
Ida Hermannsdottir
LSU
Forward
Ava McDonald
Texas
Forward
Vailana Tu’ua
Arkansas
Midfielder
Mac Midgley
Tennessee
Midfielder
Nadia Ramadan
Alabama
Midfielder
Kiera Staude
Georgia
Midfielder
Amalia Villarreal
Texas
Defender
Sydney Cheesman
LSU
Defender
Cate Hardin
Georgia
Defender
Grace Hoytink
Kentucky
Defender
Makenzie Malham
Arkansas
Goalkeeper
Cayden Norris
Tennessee

Third Team All-SEC
Forward
Sariyah Bailey
LSU
Forward
Zoe Main
Mississippi State
Forward
Jenna Stayart
Tennessee
Forward
Tanner Strickland
Kentucky
Midfielder
Erin Flurey
Auburn
Midfielder
Melina Rebimbas
Alabama
Midfielder
Kai Tsakiris
Florida
Midfielder
Cuyler Zulauf
South Carolina
Defender
Taylor Bloom
South Carolina
Defender
Riley Brown
Oklahoma
Defender
Jazmin Ferguson
LSU
Defender
Hannah Jibril
Mississippi State
Defender
Avery Wren
Arkansas
Goalkeeper
Caroline Duffy
Oklahoma