Cota, Ressler Named to Preseason All-Big 12 Team

2016 Preseason All-Big 12 Soccer Team
Pos.	Name	School	Year
GK	Lauren Watson	Texas Tech	Sr.
D	Rachel Ressler	Oklahoma	Sr.
D	Natalie Calhoun	Oklahoma State	Sr.
D	Kadeisha Buchanan	West Virginia	Sr.
MF	Jemma Cota	Oklahoma	Sr.
MF	Ashley Lawrence	West Virginia	Sr.
MF	Carla Portillo	West Virginia	Jr.
F	Lauren Piercy	Baylor	So.
F	Courtney Dike	Oklahoma State	Sr.
F	Michelle Prokof	TCU	Sr.
F	Michela Abam	West Virginia	Jr.

NORMAN — Oklahoma seniors Jemma Cota and Rachel Ressler have been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Soccer Team, the conference announced Thursday afternoon.

Six of the nine league schools are represented on the squad, and OU's two selections ties for second most. The preseason team is dominated by seniors, with eight of the 11 players in their final collegiate season.

Both Cota and Ressler are no strangers to the Oklahoma lineup, combining for 116 starts in their collegiate careers. Cota, who hails from Gilbert, Ariz., has appeared in all but one match as a Sooner (60 total), 55 of which she started. Last season, Cota assisted on the game-winning goal at Oral Roberts and was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team.

Ressler, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, has started all 61 matches for the Sooners since her arrival in Norman. A key component of OU's solid backline that matched the program best by allowing just 17 goals in 2015, Ressler was named an All-Big 12 Second Team selection following her junior campaign and also earned First-Team Academic All-Big 12 accolades.

On Wednesday, Big 12 coaches picked the Sooners to finish third in the conference, the highest preseason ranking in OU history. Fifth-year head coach Matt Potter will lead a team onto the field that features 19 student-athletes who saw playing time in 2015, including 10 who started 10 or more contests. From a season ago, the 2016 Sooners return 90.6 percent of their goals scored, including all 10 of their game winning goals, 83.3 percent of their total points and 81.1 percent of their total shots taken.

OU kicks off the year with an exhibition at North Texas at 7 p.m. on Friday before opening the regular season at home with the Nike Sooner Classic, facing No. 24 South Carolina (Aug. 19) and No. 25 Loyola Marymount (Aug. 21).

Fans can order season or single-match tickets online through SoonerSports.com or over the phone at (405) 325-2424 or toll-free at 800-456-GoOU.