MVC Softball Scholar-Athlete Team Release

ST. LOUIS -- Fourteen conference softball student-athletes have been named to the 2019 MVC Scholar-Athlete first team, including seven repeat first team selections, as voted on by the league's softball sports information directors and announced by the Missouri Valley Conference office today.  

Thirteen of the fourteen MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team members were also selected to the 2019 MVC Softball All-Conference Teams with eight being on the All-Conference First Team and five on the Second Team.  Katelyn Massa of Southern Illinois, Allison Spence of Illinois State and Kyana Mason of Missouri State are three of the honorees that were also named to the MVC All-Defensive Team. Included on the First Team are the Valley’s Most Valuable Player Sammey Bunch (UNI), two-time Elite 17 Award winner, Mandi Roemmich (DU), as well as the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, Katelyn Massa (SIU).

Southern Illinois placed four student-athletes on the first team, the most in the league.  Tournament and regular season champion, Drake, claimed three spots while Illinois State and Loyola earned two nods each.  Bradley, Missouri State and UNI each have one representative.  In all, seven conference schools are represented on the first team.

Impressively, Southern Illinois has earned at least two MVC Scholar-Athlete first team selections for 22-consecutive 
seasons.

In order to be eligible, student-athletes must have at 3.2 GPA or higher, be at least a sophomore in athletic and academic standing and meet certain playing requirements.