Freshman forward Alexa Adams and her wide grin tell the story of a winning team.

Winning back-to-back conference games over the weekend, Texas sits near the top of the Big 12 standings with a record of 6-3-4 and 3-1-1 in conference play.

After a tough stretch in the season, Texas has hit its stride. Its newfound offense could pose a threat for No. 17 Texas Tech Friday night in Lubbock. 

The Red Raiders, who were ranked as high as No. 13 before their loss to No. 3 West Virginia last week, have been carried by senior forward Janine Beckie. Beckie, the reigning Big 12 offensive player of the year, leads the Red Raiders with seven goals. While Texas Tech relies on Beckie to put the ball in the back of the net, the Longhorns may have a star in Adams.

The Longhorns struggled to score goals earlier this season. Through their first 11 games, they managed just eight goals. But this past weekend, they saw the unimaginably remarkable emergence of Adams as she exploded, scoring four of Texas’ five goals in their 2-1 win over Iowa State and 3-0 win over TCU.

“I never thought I’d be able to have four goals in one weekend,” Adams said. “I put the pressure on myself because I’m a forward and we’re supposed to be scoring goals, and we haven’t been finishing our opportunities.”

Adams was named Big 12 Player of the Week Tuesday — making her the only freshman to be awarded that honor this year. Head coach Angela Kelly was impressed as well.

“We’re seeing a young lady that is growing into her own,” Kelly said. “[The award] is very well-deserved.”