Six Women’s Soccer Players Earn College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Honors

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GREENWOOD, Ind. - Six UNC Asheville Women's Soccer players have earned Academic All-District® honors from College Sports Communicators, announced by the organization today (Tuesday, Nov. 25).

Junior forward Karlee Benz, senior defender Shae Hassig, senior midfielder Nao Kawasaki, senior goalkeeper Gracie Murray, senior defender Jordan Schaetzly and sophomore midfielder Manuela Schreier each earned the honor for the Bulldogs. To qualify for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must:

Must be at least a sophomore both academically and athletically
Maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA
Appear in 90 percent of their team's competitions or start in 66 percent of competitions

Benz appeared in all 17 matches making 10 starts as a junior, tallying one goal and two assists for four points on the season. She scored her lone goal of the season at Jacksonville State on Aug. 24, before tallying assists against Mars Hill (Aug. 27) and against South Carolina State (Sept. 4) Academically, Benz holds a 3.94 grade point average in psychology.

This is Benz's first career Academic All-District honor. She is a native of Waxhaw, N.C.

Hassig was named to the Big South Conference Top Returners Watch List prior to the start of the season, playing and starting all 17 matches on the back line as a senior. She totaled 1,345 minutes including playing all 90 minutes nine times. Hassig would tally her first career assist against Mars Hill on Aug. 27. She was named to the Big South Conference All-Conference Honorable Mention Team as well as the All-Academic Team. Academically, she holds a 3.67 grade point average in psychology.

This is Hassig's second career Academic All-District honor. She is a native of Fuquay Varina, N.C.

Kawasaki was named to the Big South Conference Top Returners Watch List prior to the start of the season, appearing in all 17 matches making seven starts as a senior. She tallied two goals for four points on the season, both in the win over Mars Hill on Aug. 27. Academically, she holds a 3.64 grade point average in business.

This is Kawasaki's second career Academic All-District honor. She is a native of Oita, Japan.

Murray was named to the Big South Conference Top Returners Watch List prior to the start of the season. She played and started in 15 matches as a senior, totaling 1,350 minutes between the pipes. Murray finished the season with a 1.13 Goals Against Average, 71 saves, three wins and four shutouts. She became just the seventh goalkeeper in program history to notch 150 career saves with her eight-save effort at ETSU on Sept. 7. Murray finishes her career with 196 saves, seventh all-time in program history. She earned her first career Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor on Aug. 18, 2025. She also finishes her career tied for fifth all-time in career shutouts with 10. Academically, she holds a 3.94 grade point average in environmental studies.

This is Murray's second career Academic All-District honor. She is a native of Harrisburg, N.C.

Schaetzly appeared in 17 matches as a senior, making eight starts. Registered five shots on the season while totaling 801 minutes. She tallied a season-high two shots at Wofford (Aug. 17). Schaetzly also registered one against Mars Hill (Aug. 27), Furman (Sept. 11) and against USC Upstate (Oct. 29). She played a season-high 81 minutes at Presbyterian on Oct. 1. Academically, she holds a 3.96 grade point average in political science.

This is Schaetzly's first career Academic All-District honor. She is a native of Henderson, Md.

Schreier played and started in 16 matches as a sophomore, totaling 1,232 minutes including playing all 90 minutes five times. She scored her first career goal against Mars Hill on Aug. 27. Academically, she holds a 3.54 grade point average in business.

This is Schreier's first career Academic All-District honor. She is a native of Rotenburg, Germany.

About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank

First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.