IRVING, Texas  — On the eve of the 2026 Big 12 Women's Lacrosse Tournament presented by Allstate, the conference has released its annual All-Conference awards. Two UC Davis lacrosse freshmen, Ava Horrocks and Holly Smith, were named to the conference's All-Newcomer Team.

Horrocks lands on this year's team after becoming one of the most decorated freshmen in the Big 12 this season, winning the conference's Freshman of the Week honor three times to tie for most in the league in 2026.

With 22 goals and 16 assists for 38 points, Horrocks finished the regular season with the third most points on the Aggies. After scoring a hat trick in her debut against Stanford on Feb. 7, she scored three or more goals twice more against California and in the conference opener over Cincinnati, where she also scored a season-high five points by adding two assists.

Playing primarily in the midfield throughout the season, Smith lands on the All-Newcomer Team after scoring a goal in nine of 15 games as a freshman.

Outside of her offensive output, Smith has proven to be an effective component of the Aggies defensive game, stepping up in big moments throughout the season to guard against high level attackers. Statistically, her best defensive showing came in a matchup with Delaware State on Mar. 2, where she led the team with four ground balls and eight draw controls while also adding a caused turnover.

UP NEXT
The Aggies will remain in Gainesville to tackle the 2026 Big 12 Women's Lacrosse Tournament hosted by Florida. Their tournament will begin in a rematch against the top-seeded Gators on Thursday, Apr. 30. Opening draw will be at 1:00 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States in agriculture and forestry as well as No. 1 in veterinary medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. 

For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.