[D2 CCA All-America Teams] [United Soccer Coaches All-America Teams]

The CCAA had three women's soccer student-athletes collect D2 CCA or United Soccer Coaches All-America honors for the 2024 season.
 
Cal Poly Pomona's Tara Oper was the only one to appear on both lists. She earned United Soccer Coaches first-team honors and was placed on the D2 CCA third team. She was joined on the United Soccer Coaches first team by her teammate Vanessa Cruz, who capped off her first season wearing the Green & Gold with an All-America selection. Stanislaus State's sophomore Aliah Avila collected third team D2 CCA honors.
 
Tara Oper registered nine goals and 12 assists while helping lead Cal Poly Pomona to the 2024 NCAA National Championship. Oper was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Tournament after she scored two goals and assisted on another at the final site. The midfielder from Riverside, Calif., completed her collegiate career by earning a point in nine consecutive matches, including in all five NCAA playoff games.
 
Vanessa Cruz was at the forefront of the offensive attack for the Broncos during their incredible run. The junior forward had 12 goals to tie for the most in the West Region. She added four assists to total 30 points (third in the West). Cruz tied for 14th in NCAA Div. II with five game-winning goals. Oper and Cruz are the first Broncos to earn United Soccer Coaches first team All-America honors since Tara Chance in 2001.
 
Stanislaus State's Aliah Avila nearly led NCAA Div. II in clutch scoring plays as she finished second nationally with seven game-winning goals. The midfielder completed her campaign with nine total goals and four assists. Those nine goals tied her for second in the CCAA, and she was seventh in assists while leading the Warriors to a CCAA playoff berth.
 
Thirty-seven total student-athletes earned recognition on the United Soccer Coaches All-America team. Click here to see the complete United Soccer Coaches release.
 
The Division II Conference Commissioners selected Flagler College’s Andrea Fernandez as the 2024 NCAA Division II Ron Lenz Player of the Year. Fernandez led all of Div. II in goals (22) and points (57) in helping the Saints reach the NCAA Tournament for the seventh straight year. She was also third in the country with 13 assists and finished the season as the active Div. II leader in goals (74), assists (45), and points (193). Click here to see the complete D2 CCA release.
 
About D2 CCA
Sports information directors (aka College Sports Communicators) from NCAA Division II schools and conferences selected the three D2 CCA All-America teams. The process begins at the regional level, with all first-team all-region picks advancing to the national ballot. A total of 39 student-athletes representing 32 different institutions filled out the three teams. The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies, and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics. It also works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel for NCAA Division II member colleges and universities. The Ron Lenz National Player of the Year award was named for long-time South Dakota State sports information director Ron Lenz in 2008. Lenz was instrumental in the foundation of the NCAA Division II All-America program, which honors outstanding student-athletes across eight NCAA Division II sports.
 
About United Soccer Coaches
Founded in 1941 and based in Kansas City, Mo., United Soccer Coaches has grown into the world’s largest soccer coaches’ organization that serves members at every level of the game. United Soccer Coaches works every day to inspire coaches and ignite their passion for the game so they pass it on to players and others in the soccer community. This year’s All-Americans will be recognized for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony on Saturday, Jan 11, 2025, in Chicago, Ill., in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.