ST. LOUIS - Seventeen conference softball student-athletes have been named to the 2024 MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, including five repeat first-team selections, as voted on by the league's softball sports information directors and announced by the Missouri Valley Conference office today.
Southern Illinois' Jackie Lis claims the Scholar-Athlete of the Year with a 3.95 GPA in Finance. Lis was named to the All-MVC First Team, MVC All Tournament Team, NFCA All-Region Second Team, and D1 Softball Freshman All-American in 2023… set the single-season record for home runs (17) a season ago… leads the MVC in runs (45), slugging percentage (.805), on-base percentage (.491), and total bases (103) in her sophomore season… has reached base safely in every MVC game this season with a hit in all but three… has a .463 batting average with 11 home runs in 24 MVC games so far… totals 33 home runs in her first two seasons as she ranks third all-time at SIU.
Nine of the conference schools have athletes represented on the first team with the MVC Champion SIU having the most with four players. Indiana State has three students while Belmont, UIC, and Ilinois State have two. Bradley, Missouri State, Murray State, and Valparaiso all have one athlete.
In order to be eligible, student-athletes must have at 3.5 GPA or higher, be at least a sophomore in athletic and academic standing and meet certain playing requirements.
2024 MVC Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois
2024 MVC Softball Scholar-Athlete First Team
Maya Johnson, R-So., LHP, Belmont, 3.91, nursing
Delaney Bryant, Illinois State, Jr., 2B, 3.95, elementary education
Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois, So., SS, 3.95, finance
Isabella Henning, Indiana State, Sr., 1B, 3.93, mechanical engineering.
Emma Austin, Southern Illinois, Jr., 3.83, healthcare management
Abi Chipps, Indiana State, Sr., 2B, 4.0, elementary education
Madi Eberle, Southern Illinois, Sr., RHP, 3.8 exercise science
Baie Ensio, Jr., OF, Belmont, 3.89, neuroscience, honors
Addison Masching, Illinois State, Jr., UT, 4.00, physical educations
Kennedy shade, Indiana State, Sr., SS, 3.83, special education
Olivia Krehbiel, Missouri State, Sr., 3B, 3.91 Grad gpa/3.98
Carlee Jo Clark, UIC, Gr., 4.00 (grad)/3.80 (undergrad), kinesiology (master’s)/psychology (bachelor’s)
Tori Meyer, Bradley, Gr., OF, 4.0, professional school counseling
Erin Lackey, Murray State, OF, Jr., 4.00, psychology
Elizabeth Warwick, Southern Illinois, Sr., OF, 3.69, finance
Hailey Cowing, UIC, Jr., OF 3.88, integrated health studies
Regi Hecker, Valparaiso, Sr., OF, 3.55, nursing
2024 MVC Softball Scholar-Athlete Second Team
Bella Wilkerson, Illinois State
Alannah Cran, UIC
Lauren Derolf, Bradley
Taylor Hogan, UNI
Abbott Badgley, Bradley
Emily Cockrill, Belmont
Carey Koenig, Drake
Rylie Hamilton, Southern Illinois
Mackenzie Chacon, Missouri State
Kaili Chval, Illinois State
Abby Knight, Illinois State
Hannah Meshnick, Illinois State
Abby Horton, Illinois State
Kenzie DerryBerry, Missouri State
Sidney Mclaughlin, Missouri State
Sammy Moss, UNI
Alyson Smith, Murray State
Addie Lightner, Drake
Kate Lappe, UNI
Marah Wood, Evansville
2024 MVC Softball Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention
Bailey Caylor, Southern Illinois
Hannah Hockerman, Southern Illinois
Sidney Jones, Southern Illinois
Abi Ledbetter, Belmont
Grace Fleming, UIC
Daryn Lamprecht, UNI
Gracie Johnston, Missouri State
Chloe Merced, Missouri State
Zoe Frossard, Evansville
Brenna Blume, Belmont
Sydney Kennedy, Bradley
Nicole Hughes, Belmont