KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of South Alabama sophomore Jemma Purfield has been named Third Team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the organization announced Friday.

The Cottingham, England native is the first all-American in the program's history.

Freshman Alexis Jordan and Purfield were also voted to the NSCAA All-South Region Team earlier in the week.

The all-America honor is Purfield's fifth of the 2016 season. The Sun Belt Conference named her the Defender and Player of the Year, the Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and she earned first-team all-region honors by the NSCAA.

A defender, Purfield led the Sun Belt in points per game (1.32), was second in goals per game (0.50) and third in assists per game (0.32). Four of her team-high 11 goals were game winners, including two in the SBC Tournament.

She recorded at least one point in 9 of 10 league games and scored three goals in the Sun Belt Tournament, two of which came in the championship game, a 2-0 victory over Coastal Carolina that gave the Jaguars their fourth title in a row.

Jordan, the fourth consecutive Jaguar to win Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors, was placed on the all-region third team. She led all Sun Belt rookies in assists with six, and helped on three match-winning goals. The Mesquite, Texas native ranked fourth in the league in assists per game (0.30) and was a crucial part of a defense that led the conference in goals against average (0.84) and shutouts (12).

The Jaguars went 15-6-1 overall and 7-3 in the Sun Belt, and will return 10 starters in 2017.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—