University of Memphis Athletics
Kitagawa Caps Stellar Week with Two American Conference Honors; Galani Earns Honorable Mention
Oct 12, 2026 | Women's Soccer
IRVING, Texas – University of Memphis women's soccer players Ai Kitagawa and Ava Galani collected American Conference weekly honors on Monday, with Kitagawa being named both Offensive Player and Midfielder of the Week and Galani earning an honorable mention.
Kitagawa, a junior midfielder from Itami City, Hyogo, Japan, played a pivotal role in the Tigers' attack across two conference victories, recording three goals and two assists for eight points as Memphis outscored its opponents 6-1 on the week.
In Thursday's 4-0 shutout of Tulsa, Kitagawa contributed to three of Memphis' four goals. The junior assisted Abby Forsgren's opening goal in the 48th minute before finding the back of the net herself in the 56th minute. She added her second assist of the match on Ellis Kelly's goal in the 64th minute.
Kitagawa followed with a two-goal performance in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Charlotte, opening the scoring in the 20th minute with a perfectly placed direct free kick from long range into the upper-left corner. After Charlotte equalized in the second half, Kitagawa converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute to secure three points for the Tigers.
The brace marked Kitagawa's second multi-goal match of the season and sixth of her career. She finished the week with 10 shots, including five on goal, while bringing her season total to seven goals and her career tally to 23.
Kitagawa ranks 12th in Memphis history in goals (23), eighth in game-winning goals (nine) and third in multi-goal performances (6).
Galani helped anchor the Memphis defense across both victories, recording eight saves and allowing just one goal while posting an .889 save percentage.
The goalkeeper made four saves in Thursday's shutout of Tulsa, helping the Tigers secure their second consecutive clean sheet. Galani followed with another four-save performance against Charlotte on Sunday, keeping Memphis in position to claim its fourth conference victory of the season.
The two wins improved Memphis to 4-0-1 in the American Conference, with a league-leading 13 points. The Tigers remain the last unbeaten team in conference play.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday, Oct. 15 when they travel to Temple. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. in Philadelphia, Pa. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Kitagawa, a junior midfielder from Itami City, Hyogo, Japan, played a pivotal role in the Tigers' attack across two conference victories, recording three goals and two assists for eight points as Memphis outscored its opponents 6-1 on the week.
In Thursday's 4-0 shutout of Tulsa, Kitagawa contributed to three of Memphis' four goals. The junior assisted Abby Forsgren's opening goal in the 48th minute before finding the back of the net herself in the 56th minute. She added her second assist of the match on Ellis Kelly's goal in the 64th minute.
Kitagawa followed with a two-goal performance in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Charlotte, opening the scoring in the 20th minute with a perfectly placed direct free kick from long range into the upper-left corner. After Charlotte equalized in the second half, Kitagawa converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute to secure three points for the Tigers.
The brace marked Kitagawa's second multi-goal match of the season and sixth of her career. She finished the week with 10 shots, including five on goal, while bringing her season total to seven goals and her career tally to 23.
Kitagawa ranks 12th in Memphis history in goals (23), eighth in game-winning goals (nine) and third in multi-goal performances (6).
Galani helped anchor the Memphis defense across both victories, recording eight saves and allowing just one goal while posting an .889 save percentage.
The goalkeeper made four saves in Thursday's shutout of Tulsa, helping the Tigers secure their second consecutive clean sheet. Galani followed with another four-save performance against Charlotte on Sunday, keeping Memphis in position to claim its fourth conference victory of the season.
The two wins improved Memphis to 4-0-1 in the American Conference, with a league-leading 13 points. The Tigers remain the last unbeaten team in conference play.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday, Oct. 15 when they travel to Temple. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. in Philadelphia, Pa. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's SoccerSaturday, November 22
Saturday, November 15
Monday, November 10
Monday, November 10