Murray State’s Halli Poock has been named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Jackie Stiles Player of the Year, presented by Great Southern Bank. She is the first Murray State Racer to earn the honor.
Poock leads the league in scoring, averaging 22.2 points and an impressive 25.5 points in Conference games. The junior guard has recorded 20-plus points in 17 of 20 league contests this season and a league-leading six games with 30-or-more. Nationally, Poock ranks 11th in Division I in points per game and total points, with 688 on the year, which puts her 13th in the MVC record books for a single season.
Murray State teammate Sharnecce Currie-Jelks has been voted the MVC Newcomer of the Year. Currie-Jelks is the only player in the league averaging a double-double, sitting at 18.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per outing. Currie-Jelks recorded a double-double in 16 Conference games, including eight-straight to end the regular season. The junior leads all Division I in double-doubles (24) while ranking sixth with 364 total rebounds – the eighth most in a single season in Valley history.
This year’s Freshman of the Year is Bradley’s Maya Foz. Foz is just the fourth Brave to receive the award, and the first since 2022. Foz ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the floor. The eight-time MVC Freshman of the Week helped propel the Braves to their fifth 20-win season in program history, while matching a program-best with 13 Conference wins.
Northern Iowa’s Ryley Goebel is just the third Panther, and first since 2006, to be named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year. Goebel, who is averaging the second-most blocks per game (2.80) and has the fourth-most blocks (84) total in Division I this season, is tied for the sixth-most in a single season in Valley history. For her career, Goebel has 200-plus blocks and steals, making her the only player in league history to accomplish the feat. For her career, Goebel’s 246 blocks are the fourth-most in MVC history.
For the first time since joining The Valley, a Belmont Bruin has earned the Sixth Player of the Year award, as Sanaa Tripp takes home the honor in 2026. Tripp averaged 25.9 minutes off the bench during the regular season, while ranking second on the team in steals, fourth in assists and fifth in scoring. She made in appearance in all 31 games for the Bruins.
This year’s Most Improved Player is Illinois State’s Doneelah Washington. Washington is the second Redbird to receive the honor since its inception in 2021. Washington doubled her playing time from her rookie season, averaging 30.7 minutes per game in 2025-26. The sophomore went from averaging 4.9 points per game to an impressive 17.8 per outing this season. Additionally, she improved her field goal percentage (52.5%) and free throw percentage (72.6%). In league play, Washington ranks third in scoring (18.9), fourth in rebounding (8.8) and fifth in field goal percentage (52.1%).
The 2026 MVC Coach of the Year is Murray State’s Rechelle Turner. The recognition marks the first time in Turner’s tenure that she has been voted a Conference Coach of the Year. Turner guided the Racers to their second-consecutive, and first outright, Missouri Valley Conference regular season title, with a 19-1 record in league play. For the second-straight year, Murray State notched a program record for total wins, entering this week’s tournament with a 28-3 overall record.