.jpg)
The Rice Lady Raiders soccer team made the playoffs for the first time ever this past season.
While that is impressive in its own right, they were rewarded by having 12 players named to the All-District team.
Leading things off was the defensive MVP of the district, and that honor went to Klair Hailey, who made several key defensive plays that helped the Lady Raiders secure wins this season. On top of that, Hailey was named to the 1st All-District team along with three of her other teammates.
Aleah Conejo, Ximena Gonzalez and Julia Tovar were the three other Lady Raiders that earned All-District honors. This trio was relied on heavily throughout the season for their leadership and their offensive abilities.
They used their speed and elite passing to move the ball into advantageous places on the field, leading to more scoring opportunities and goals.
On the 2nd All-District team, three more Lady Raiders earned a spot, and they were Aileen Valdivia, Devany Garcia and Pricilla Morales. Much like the first trio, these three were also leaders on the team.
They helped keep things steady if the Lady Raiders ever found themselves trailing or in a bad spot. They also brought good energy to the team. They had a ton of speed to get on loose balls quickly, and they were also very tenacious defenders that forced a ton of turnovers this season.
Last but certainly not least was the Honorable Mentions for the All-District team, and there were five Lady Raiders named. They were Xochitl Toriz, Blanca Molina, Jenesis Casillas, Cristal Salazar and Bristol Freeman.
These five made just as much of an impact on the team as the seven players listed above. They may not have appeared on the score sheet as often or made the flashy plays, but this group played the game the right way and helped boost this team to their first ever playoff appearance.
The Lady Raiders laid down a ton of good foundation this season to build off of and come back even stronger in 2027.
