MARIETTA, Ohio — Four members of the Marietta College women’s soccer team have been named to the 2026 All-Ohio Athletic Conference team, Marietta College Athletics announced. The honors, announced Friday, Nov. 5, in Westerville, reward a Pioneers squad that reached the OAC Tournament for the first time in more than two decades.
Senior defender Tati Grigoryan of Sun Valley, California, was named to the first team, Marietta College Athletics reported. Senior goalkeeper Francesca Agliolo of San Gabriel, California, and junior forward Jaylyn Thornton of Pataskala were named to the second team, and senior defender Myah Byers of Delaware, Ohio, was a third-team honoree.
“It’s incredible to continue to get this kind of recognition from the conference,” Marietta head coach Zack Votra told Marietta College Athletics. “We had five all-conference selections a year ago, and to add four more this year is fantastic. It shows the continued growth of the program and is a testament to how competitive this group has been,” Votra told Marietta College Athletics.
Grigoryan earned first-team honors for the second straight year. Playing through challenging injuries, the senior anchored the defense, took on the opponent’s most dangerous attacking threats and still scored two goals on the season, according to Marietta College Athletics. Agliolo, the reigning OAC Goalkeeper of the Year, played 18 matches and ranked second in the conference with a .833 save percentage, fourth with a 1.10 goals-against average and 5.28 saves per game, and recorded six shutouts.
Thornton, a transfer who joined the program at the start of the year, led the team with 10 goals — fourth in the conference — and ranked fourth in points with 23. Her five goals against Muskingum earlier in the year tied a program record, Marietta College Athletics reported. Byers claimed her second consecutive postseason honor after switching positions this season, adding one goal and three assists to her defensive work.
The Pioneers finished 6-10-3 overall after qualifying for the OAC Tournament and making their first postseason appearance since 2003, according to Marietta College Athletics.
What happens next: Marietta will say goodbye to a senior-heavy honored class, including Grigoryan, Agliolo and Byers, while Thornton’s return gives the Pioneers a proven scorer to build around as the program tries to turn a breakthrough postseason trip into a regular expectation.
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