CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Setting a new personal-best yesterday with seven saves and her second shutout of the young season, rookie keeper Alexa Garcia of the Presbyterian College women's soccer team has been voted the Big South Freshman of the Week.

PC ventured to the Upper Midwest for two non-conference matches with North Dakota and North Dakota State, earning a 0-0 draw in the second contest. Garcia totaled 12 saves in those 180 minutes combined.

It's been an awards-heavy start to 2026 for head coach Matt Smith's crew, claiming their fourth weekly honor of the year and their second Freshman of the Week win.

Garcia owns the lowest goals-against average of any player in the Big South, keeping Sunday's defensive battle to a nil-nil result with five deflections in the second half.






 
PACING THE CONFERENCE

 
- Originally from New Hampshire, Garcia has held down the goalie spot in all four of PC's matches this semester. Thanks in large part to her efforts, the Blue Hose have given up the fewest amount of goals in the division.

- Opponents have been able to score just three times in 360 minutes versus Garcia and the rest of Presbyterian's defense, churning out two clean sheets against Newberry and North Dakota State.

- The newbie has managed to turn away 84 percent of shots that came in her direction, a rate that is higher than any other individual player in the Big South.

- Garcia needed only two saves apiece in her first two showings, but has stepped up against more aggressive offenses by assembling five at North Dakota and now seven at NDSU.

- Her latest deflection on Sunday came with less than 10 minutes on the clock. She is one of three keepers in the conference who have blanked two different foes.


 
P.O.T.W. HISTORY

 
- PC has now produced a Big South Freshman of the Week in back-to-back seasons (following on from Febe Dombrecht in 2025 and Katy Verdery earlier this month), giving the team eight total weekly awards since Smith took over two years ago.

- Back on August 17, Presby became the first Big South institution since 2023 to sweep the league's "of the week" honors in a single day: Maddie Smith (Offense) and Sydney Stoner (Defense) to go along with Verdery.

- Nearly one month into the campaign, PC is leading all conference teams with four weekly-award winners. USC Upstate is currently the only other squad with more than one.


 
LOOKING AHEAD

 
- The Blue Hose will compete with two familiar foes in the near future, making quick trips to Furman on Thursday (7:00) and Wofford on Sunday (1:00).

- That will conclude a four-match road swing, duking it out with a couple of Southern Conference rivals that they bested back in 2024.

- PC plays in Greenville for the first time since that match two years ago, a 2-1 result where the Scotsmen scored the game-winner in the 65^th minute.

- Smith owns 36 career victories as a head coach against schools from the state of South Carolina, preparing for three more non-conference games before the league schedule opens up.