NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State soccer's fifth-year senior Ashley Santos was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second time in seven months, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday.
Santos earned the honor in the spring 2021 season, marking the third-straight season a Redbird has taken home the accolade as NWSL draftee Kate Del Fava was named MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2019. Illinois State is the only school to have ever won the award, given that it was introduced in 2019.
Santos was also named MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team for the third time, joining Del Fava and Anna Stintson as Redbirds to accomplish that feat.
Santos, a native of Falls Church, Va., has earned All-MVC First Team honors twice (2021, spring 2021), after being tabbed Honorable Mention twice (2019, 2018) and All-MVC Freshman Team in 2017. Santos broke program records for minutes played (7,421), matches played (90), and matches started (89), anchoring the Redbird backline and defensive midfield in the 2021 season.
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