BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Four members of the Kentucky women’s soccer team garnered postseason accolades from the Southeastern Conference, the league announced Thursday. Freshman forward Kyla Dawn and junior midfielder Juliette Rayo were named Second Team All-SEC while defender Katherine Truitt earned a spot on the All-SEC Third Team. Dawn also earned her place on the SEC All-Freshman Team alongside defender Elise Ernest.
Kyla Dawn secured her postseason honors of Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman after recording a dynamic debut season in the SEC. Playing and starting in every match this campaign, the Dallas native logged team-leading marks in goals (11), points (24), shots (30), shots on goal (21) and game-winning goals (4). Her elite play on offense was best showcased in the Wildcats’ 9-1 win over Wright State on August 30, where the forward recorded a hat trick. The three-goal performance is the first since Makayla Woods against Tennessee on Oct. 27, 2024. No stranger to pressure, Dawn also contributed the game-winner in the 89th minute in Kentucky’s comeback victory over then-No. 25 Texas on Oct. 9. In the conference, the freshman ranks in the top four in four key categories: game-winning goals (T4th), goals (4th), points (4th) and shots on goal (T9th). In back-to-back weeks, Dawn was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week (Aug. 24, Aug. 31).
Juliette Rayo’s placement on the All-SEC Second Team marks the first conference honor for the junior. In her first year at Kentucky, Rayo became a vital part of the team, starting and playing in every match this season. The midfielder ties for second on the team in both goals (7) and points (15). Her seven goals also tie for the eighth-most goals scored by a player in the SEC. Rayo and Dawn heavily contribute to the Wildcat offense, a unit that ranks tenth nationally in scoring offense (2.59) and 12th nationally in total goals (44).
Getting named to the All-SEC Third Team, Katherine Truitt has been a large part of the Wildcat’s defensive foundation. Playing and starting in all 17 matches so far this season, Truitt has logged the most minutes on the team with 1,497 minutes. In the Cat’s win over Dayton on Aug. 20, Truitt fed the assist to Dawn, putting Kentucky on the board. A leader on and off the field, the defender was named to the SEC Soccer Community Service Team for her work with the nonprofit organization Exhilarating Inc. and her service as the SAAC representative for the women’s soccer team.
Elise Ernest’s play did not go unnoticed by the conference, joining Dawn on the SEC All-Freshman Team. In her first season in the SEC, Ernest played and started in every match, contributing at a high level. The Virginia native logged two matches where she scored a goal and notched an assist. After recording her first collegiate goal and assist in Kentucky’s takedown of then-No. 25 Texas on Oct. 9, Ernest was named SEC Freshman of the Week.
The Cats have flourished in conference play, getting named the four-seed at the SEC Tournament and earning a first-round bye after the 3-0 win against then-No. 20 Arkansas on Nov. 1. The top-4 finish for Kentucky is the highest since 2014. The team will play the winner of the first-round match between No. 5 Arkansas and No. 12 Florida. The Wildcats will kick off on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET in Pensacola, Fla. The match will be broadcast on SEC Network.
