SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – The Missouri Valley Conference league office has announced its women's soccer postseason award selections for the 2025 season. Illinois State had four student-athletes selected for six different awards.
Redshirt Sophomore Madi Valenti was selected as the 2025 MVC Goalkeeper of the Year after a record-breaking year between the sticks for Illinois State. Valenti became the first Redbird goalkeeper to earn the award since Aryn Newsom in 2013. Valenti also earned an All-MVC First Team selection and became the first goalkeeper to receive the honor since Haley Smith in 2019.
This season, Valenti led the Missouri Valley Conference with 10 shutouts across the 2025 campaign. Valenti's total ties for the most by an individual goalkeeper in a single season in Redbird history. As of Nov. 3, Valenti's mark also sits tied for the sixth most in the nation.
In Sunday's victory over Southern Illinois, Valenti tallied three saves to record a MVC-best 76 saves this season. For the second time in her career, Valenti has recorded a top-10 mark for saves in a season, becoming the first goalkeeper since Haley Smith (2016-19) to earn two top-10 individual save totals in a season. In her career, Valenti sits sixth in program history with 156 career saves.
Senior Jade Rehberger earned her first career All-MVC First Team selection after a strong senior campaign. In 2025, Rehberger played a pivotal role in the Redbirds' defensive success throughout the season. Rehberger helped Illinois State post 11 shutouts throughout the campaign, which is the most in the MVC and ranks tied for the seventh most in the nation.
This season, Rehberger eclipsed 1000 minutes played for the fourth consecutive season as she started every contest and recorded 90 minutes played in all but two games. Rehberger became the 10th player in Redbird history to record over 6200 minutes in her career.
On Oct. 23, Rehberger scored her first career goal against Drake to secure the Redbirds' first unbeaten mark in conference play at home for the first time since 2016.
Freshman Grace Petrie earned her first postseason award selections after being nominated for the All-MVC Third Team and All-MVC Freshman Team. Petrie, alongside Rehberger, helped guide the Redbirds to 11 shutouts this season.
Petrie leads all Redbird freshmen with 1734 minutes played this season and has tallied 90 minutes played in 16 straight contests. Petrie also earned back-to-back Freshman of the Week honors this season.
Freshman Rylann Law joins Petrie on the All-MVC Freshman team as Petrie and Law become the first duo to earn the honor in the same season since Sarah LaFayette and Ashley Santos in 2017. Law scored four goals during the season, including two in a brace against IU-Indy. Her brace marked the first two-goal effort in a single game from a freshman since Hannah Muller in September 2018.
Petrie and Law join teammates Jade Rehberger, Ava Watson, and Eiley Henderson as the current active players to earn All-MVC Freshman Team selections. Illinois State has had a player selected to the Freshman Team in 10 straight seasons. The six award selections are the most in a season for the Redbirds since 2017.
Head Coach Raleigh DeRose on Illinois State Nominations...
"I am beyond proud of these players and all they have accomplished throughout the season. Their talent is undeniable, but it's their hard work and determination to continually develop that talent that truly define who they are. Their daily commitment to competing and improving has been the key to their success and our team's success."
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