Wake Women's Soccer Defender Wins Back-To-Back ACC Defensive Player of the Week Awards

She has helped Wake Forest concede zero goals over their first four games

Wake Forest defender Sierra Sythe celebrating with her teammates | Wake Forest Athletics

Redshirt junior Sierra Sythe has just been named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week. This is the second straight week she has won this award, which is a testament to how important she is to a Wake Forest defense that has yet to allow a goal in their opening four games.

The women's soccer team is off to a fantastic start to the season, and Sythe is a big part of their early success. They had similar success last year, but the dominance they're showing against very solid teams is an encouraging sign. In addition, they are currently the 5th-ranked team in DI.

Wake is the only ACC team to pitch shutouts through four games. They will hope to gain confidence from these early successes and carry momentum with them as they enter ACC play, where they will play some of the top-ranked schools in the nation, such as Stanford and Duke.

Sythe's Goal Contribution Helps the Deacons Go 2-0 This Week

Wake Forest Women's Soccer cruised to yet another win, with goals from Chloe Burst and Allie Flanagan being the difference makers. | Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

With a lot of attention going to the men's program and all that they have done this offseason, the women's soccer team is playing like one of the best teams in the country. They went 2-0 this past week, beating the likes of Iowa and Old Dominion.

The Deacons got an early lead against Iowa thanks to midfielder Lola Ressler, scoring the third-fastest goal in program history. After that, their strong defense and stellar play from goalkeeper Valentina Amaral helped them maintain the lead, finishing the game with a final score of 2-0.

They followed up their solid performance with another shutout against Old Dominion, winning 1-0. The sole goal came from Sythe, who, alongside back-to-back 90-minute outings, earned her another ACC Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Sythe's Success Is Nothing New

Wake Forest Women's Soccer finds themselves on a four-game unbeaten run, including a 1-1 draw against the Brown Bears at Spry Stadium. | Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

Sythe's early success is no surprise if you've been following Wake women's soccer for the past couple of years. She helped the Deacons have one of the best defensive records in the nation last year, and she's showing that she can repeat that success during the early stages of this season.

Not only did she total the most minutes of any outfield player last year, but she tallied the sixth-most assists in program history with 9. Her track record even extends to the national level, where she has been called up to the USA U-23 National Team multiple times.

Overall, it is clear that Sythe has been a vital piece of Wake's team this year, and she will continue to be as the season goes on. Her ability to defend at a high level while also contributing to goal-scoring is something that you don't see in many players. She has helped the Demon Deacons rank so highly this year, and it is safe to say they are not satisfied yet.