BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Valdosta State junior forward Taylor Youmans and junior midfielder Kaitlyn Scherer were named to the All-Gulf South Conference Second Team, the league office announced Friday afternoon.  This is the first all-league honor for both Youmans and Scherer.
 
Youmans, a native of Newnan, Georgia, and transfer from Kennesaw State, finished the season with a team-best six goals and six assists for 18 points.  She had 31 shots (.194) with 19 on target (.613) and had two game winners for the season to tie for the team lead.  Youmans played in all 18 matches with 15 starts and logged 924 minutes.  She scored a season-high two goals against Mississippi College on Nov. 2 on Senior Day in a 3-1 win over the Choctaws.
 
Scherer finished second on the team in scoring with 12 points and was one of two Blazers to start all 18 matches.  The Green Cove Springs, Fla., native, finished with five goals and two assists for the year.  She had 21 shots (.238) with 14 on frame (.667) and two game winners.  Scherer scored a season-high two goals against Christian Brothers on Oct. 24 and earned GSC Player of the Week honors for her efforts that week against CBU and Eckerd.  She led the team playing in 1,515 minutes.
 
For her career, she has played in 25 matches with 27 starts and has seven goals and four assists for 18 points.  She has 27 shots with 16 on frame and three game winners and logging 2,348 minutes.  
 
For the GSC Specialty Awards, West Florida's Olof Thorvaldsdootir earned Offensive Player of the Year honors, while West Florida's Jillian Thompson was named Defensive Player of the Year and Montevallo's Ayla Ertekin was named Freshman of the Year.  UWF head coach Joe Bartlinski was named Coach of the Year.  
 
Regular season title winner, West Florida, had the most All-GSC selections at seven. Montevallo followed with six honorees, while Lee had four and West Alabama garnered three. Delta State and Valdosta State had two apiece, while Mississippi College, Spring Hill and Union had one each.
 
Bartlinski earned his fourth consecutive and conference-best 11th overall Coach of the Year award. In his 24th season, Bartlinski guided West Florida to its 15th GSC regular-season title while going unbeaten with a conference record of 11-0-1 and overall record of 15-0-2. 
 
Click here for the complete all-conference teams.

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