Nytes, Leyba Lead Plethora of Big 12 Honors

FORT WORTH, Texas – Colorado's Jordan Nytes and Hope Leyba highlighted the Buffaloes' nine Big 12 All-Conference postseason honors. Nytes was honored with her third Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year award, while Leyba was bestowed the conference's Forward of the Year.

Colorado landed four First Team All-Conference selections, with Faith Leyba and Jace Holley joining Nytes and H. Leyba. Caley Swierenga scored Second Team All-Conference accolades, while Vivi Sacarias was Big 12 All-Freshman.

Nytes, already the only repeat Goalkeeper of the Year recipient, now becomes the first three-time winner of the award. She was also one of three players in the conference to split Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

"We are pleased that our players were acknowledged by the conference," head coach Danny Sanchez expressed. "They are all very deserving. We had a fantastic regular season, and that leads to players getting accolades. Each player honored recognizes that they couldn't have done it without all their teammates."

Nytes, an Aurora, Colo., native, posted all 15 wins in net for the Buffs this season, recording double-digit wins for her fourth consecutive season. She ranks second in the Big 12 with 93 saves and recorded seven shutouts in 2025. Nytes earned three Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors this season, pushing her career total to 10, the most individual Goalkeeper of the Week honors in the conference since the award began in the 2020-21 season and the second-most honors in conference history. She was ranked No. 28 in Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100.

Nytes became the first Colorado netminder to earn Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2024. She was also Co-Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022 as a freshman at Oklahoma State.

The second-year captain has posted a career-high .861 save %, while totaling her best goals-against average (0.77) in her three years in Boulder. Nytes tied her CU career-high of 10 saves in the Buffs' 3-0 win over then-No. 5 Texas Tech. Now a three-time First Team All-Big 12 selection, she set the CU record for career shutouts with 26 and is second on the career-wins list with 40.

Hope Leyba, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, set CU single-season records in goals and points in 2025. She recorded two hat tricks this season, becoming the first Buff to post multiple three-goal games in the same season. Leyba scored six game-winning goals this season. She ranks first in the nation in total goals (21), second in total points (43), third in goals per game (1.05) and fifth in points per game (2.15).

The standout junior has skyrocketed up the CU career charts, ranking fifth in goals (31) and sixth in points (66). Leyba was ranked No. 3 in Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100.

Faith Leyba repeats as a First Team selection. The defender from Phoenix, Ariz., contributed to all seven shutouts for the Buffs this season. She has started all 20 matches this year and is leading CU field players in minutes played for the third consecutive season. Offensively, Leyba has one goal and a career-high three assists this season. She was ranked No. 75 overall in Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100.

Holley, a second-year Buff from Fort Collins, Colo., has put up stellar numbers in 2025. She ranks third in the Big 12 in points (30), fourth in goals (12) and 10th in assists (6), all career-high marks. Holley has started all 20 matches this season and recorded two game-winning goals, bringing her career total to six. Holley, a 2024 All-Freshman Team selection, has scored two braces this season and totaled a career-high five points (1 G, 3 A) against Fordham. Her three assists against Fordham are tied for the second-most in the NCAA this season. Holley came in at No. 25 in Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100.

Swierenga, a first-year Buff, has made a significant impact since transferring from LSU. She has started every match this season, setting career-highs in starts and minutes played. She's been a solid piece in the CU backfield, assisting in all seven shutouts this season. Swierenga matched her career-high in points (2) and assists (2) against UNC Greensboro. The junior defender has handed out a career-high nine assists this season, good for second all-time in a single season for a Buff.

Zacarias was one of 11 players selected as All-Freshman throughout the conference. The Lynwood, Calif., native has started every match for CU this season. She registered her first collegiate points with an assist in Colorado's second game of the season against Air Force and put her first goal on the board against Denver. Zacarias was ranked No. 8 in Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Freshman Top 100.

Colorado (15-2-3) returns to the pitch on Wednesday in the second Big 12 Tournament semifinal match. The Buffs will take on No. 7-seeded Kansas (6 p.m. MT).

CU defeated Kansas 2-1 in Lawrence to close the regular season last week. H. Leyba and Reagan Kotschau picked up the goals in the win.

The Buffaloes' next win will set the program record for wins in a season. The team's 15 wins are tied for the most with the 2003, '04 and '16 seasons.

For more information on Colorado Soccer, please visit cubuffs.com/soccer. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffssoccer on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

Jace Holley

Reagan Kotschau

Faith Leyba

Hope Leyba

Jordan Nytes

Caley Swierenga

Colorado University Athletics