ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Conference announced that six Illinois State softball student-athletes have been selected to All-MVC teams for their performances in conference play during the 2023 season.
Fifth-year senior second baseman Emme Olson, senior catcher Dayna Kennedy and senior pitcher Hannah Ross have earned First Team All-MVC honors while sophomore first baseman Abby Knight and sophomore shortstop Delainey Bryant each earned a Second Team All-MVC nod. Junior Jayden Standish was also named to the MVC All-Defensive Team this season.
Olson, a Hartsburg, Ill. native, earned First Team honors for the first time in her career as she is a two-time Second Team honoree (2021, 2022). In conference play this season, Olson held a .357 batting average with 30 hits, eight doubles, five home runs, 21 RBI, 13 walks and 14 runs scored. She started every game this season, both overall and in conference, and ranked among the top 10 in the Valley in multiple offensive categories.
Kennedy, a Decatur, Ill. native, was selected to the All-MVC First Team for the second consecutive season. Kennedy continued her dominance in conference play during the 2023 season with a .373 batting average, seven home runs, five doubles, 16 runs scored, 24 RBI and six walks. Behind the dish, she had 143 putouts, 13 assists and no errors in her 26 conference games played.
Ross, a Scottsdale, Ariz. native, earned her first Valley accolade when she was selected to the All-MVC First Team this season. She has been the Redbirds' ace in the circle with a 1.85 ERA in conference contests. She has 11 wins in 10 complete game efforts, one save, and three shutouts against MVC opponents. Ross tossed a pair of career highs this season against Valley teams as she fanned 11 batters against Bradley on April 5 and pitched 10.0 innings at Evansville on April 28. Her senior season has been her best as she ranks fourth in the MVC in ERA, second in innings pitched, fifth in strikeouts, and second in wins. Ross has also tossed the third perfect game in program history a season ago on March 10, 2022 and has continued to shine as a Redbird.
Knight, a Bloomington, Ill. native, got selected to the All-MVC Second Team for the first time in her career. She earned a nod on the All-Tournament team in 2022 and was a Valley Newcomer of the Week last season, but did not collect any postseason accolades even though she led the team in RBI as a freshman. In her sophomore campaign, Knight had 30 hits in conference play and started all 26 MVC games at first base. She also drove in 14 runs and scored 13 herself.
Bryant, a Mattoon, Ill. native, collected her second MVC postseason nod in as many seasons as a Redbird. Bryant was selected to the All-MVC Second Team this year and she was a First Team selection as a freshman in 2022. She had 26 hits with five doubles and six home runs in conference play while scoring a team high 22 runs. She also drew a team-high 15 walks against MVC opponents. Bryant started every game this season at shortstop and as the Redbirds' main leadoff hitter.
Standish, a Lexington, Ill. native, was selected to the MVC All-Defensive Team this season. She has started every game at third base for Illinois State and has only made one error in 68 chances against conference opponents. At the hot corner, she has 20 putouts and 48 assists while playing a huge role in helping the Redbirds lead the conference in double plays turned per game. Illinois State is also ranked nationally in fielding percentage and is on pace to have one of its highest fielding percentages in program history.
ON DECK
Illinois State (30-21, 19-7 MVC) will travel to Carbondale, Ill. for the MVC Tournament on May 10-13. The Redbirds will play the winner of No. 6 Southern Illinois and No. 11 UIC on Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m. CT.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
