A&M-Victoria's Reyes earns first RRAC Defensive Player of the Week honor

If you look at the Texas A&M University-Victoria women's soccer team, you'll see their defense might be their biggest strength.

The Jaguars (2-1-2) boast a 1.00 Goals Allowed Average as a team, which ranks second in the Red River Athletic Conference behind Louisiana Christian, which has played just one game this season. Anchoring that defense is senior defender and captain Rosa Reyes.

After guiding A&M-Victoria to another unbeaten week with a 5-0 win over Texas Wesleyan and 1-1 draw with NCAA Division III side Concordia University Texas, and 180 total minutes played, Reyes was named Defensive Player of the Week by the RRAC for the first time on Tuesday.

"I'm honored to be named RRAC Defensive Player of the Week," Reyes said. "It means a lot to me and I couldn't have done it without my teammates and coaches pushing me to work hard every day."

Reyes is the second consecutive Jaguar honored with Defensive Player of the Week, joining goalkeeper Jamie Noriega who was honored last week.

The Katy native has been a staple in the back for A&M-Victoria, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the team's five games. Reyes has used her experience in 45 total appearances to guide the defense to the top of the RRAC in the early portion of the season.

While it doesn't show up in the box scores, Reyes' leadership has been evident to head coach Kimberly Uetrecht as the Jaguars are enjoying a four-match unbeaten run.

"Rosa has emerged as a strong and dependable leader in the back," Uetrecht said. "Her communication and organizational skills are vital to our team's success. It has been rewarding to witness her continued growth and the impact she is making on the defensive line."

The Jaguars are set to host Huston-Tillotson (3-3-1) in their final non-conference match of the season.