Chambana Sun

Illinois forward Sarah Foley has been recognized as a Second Team All-Big Ten player, according to the announcement from the Big Ten conference. This accolade comes as part of the 2024 Big Ten Women's Soccer Postseason Awards.

Foley, a junior hailing from Belleville, Illinois, had an impressive season with 11 goals and two assists, totaling 24 points—both career highs. Her performance marks her as the first player since Jannelle Flaws in 2015 to achieve such numbers for the program.

In terms of rankings, Foley's 11 goals placed her tied for fourth among Big Ten players and tied for 22nd nationally. During conference play, she scored six goals, tying her for third place. Notably, her goal conversion rate stood at 33 percent, leading all conference players who reached double figures in goals and ranking third nationally among those with at least ten goals.

Six of Foley's goals were match-winners, placing her fourth in single-season program history and marking the most since Vanessa DiBernardo's eight in 2011. She concluded her junior year by scoring in three consecutive matches, aiding Illinois in securing victories over Indiana and Northwestern for the first time since 2021.

Foley is Illinois' first All-Big Ten honoree since 2020 and becomes the 51st All-Big Ten selection under head coach Janet Rayfield. Rayfield announced her retirement after leading the program for 23 seasons.

Senior midfielder Abby Lynch was also honored by the conference as Illinois' Sportsmanship Award Honoree.