NORMAL, Ill. – After a historic regular season, including winning the first MVC regular season title in school history, the Wichita State softball team racked up several conference honors at the Missouri Valley Conference Wednesday night.

Three student-athletes made first team and one made second team, while sophomore Cacy Williams was name MVC Player of the Year as well as Newcomer of the Year. This is the first time in MVC history that the same player has earned both awards in a single season.

Williams has the highest batting average in the league, scored 57 runs and the most hits with 70. This athlete knocked 16 home runs out of the park and got extra bases with 13 doubles and two triples.

The sophomore has a .422 batting average, which is the 38th best in Division I Softball. In NCAA rankings, her slugging percentage ranks her 18th, her home runs at 19th. She has a .532 on base percentage, good for 21st and currently ranks 64th in walks. During the season, she had 293 putouts and 14 double plays.

The Wichita State coaching staff was also honored with MVC Coaching Staff of the Year after turning a struggling softball program around in just three short years. Head coach Kristi Bredbenner and assistant coaches Samantha Ricketts and Samantha Sheeley went 34-73 over the past two years, finishing ninth and eighth in the Valley, respectively, before taking the program to a 34-20 overall record and a 21-6 MVC record this season.

First Team
Brittany Gardner, Loyola
Regan Romshek, Illinois State
Stephanie Gallant, Illinois State
Melanie Jaegers, Wichita State
Cacy Williams, Wichita State
Laura Canopy, Illinois State
Jayna Spivey, Southern Illinois
Sara Bradley, Illinois State
Rikki Alcaraz, Northern Iowa
Morgan Allee, Indiana State
Amy Pierce, Drake
Brittany Fortner, Wichita State
Megan Sowa, Drake
Chandra Parr, Evansville
Kara Repp, Illinois State
Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois
Madeline Lynch-Crumrine, Bradley
 
Second Team
Katie Bertelsen, Southern Illinois
Jamie Fisher, Northern Iowa
Tarran Shaffer, Loyola
Megan Stone, Indiana State
Laura Brewer, Drake
Ashley Brentz, Missouri State
Lauren Moore, Loyola
Kendal Duffy, Bradley
Caitlin Wnek, Northern Iowa
Kerri Cunningham, Missouri State
Paige Luellen, Wichita State
Erika Crissman, Indiana State
Nichelle Harrison, Illinois State
Marina Groenewegen, Bradley
Shaye Harre, Southern Illinois
Rebekah Schmidt, Drake
Chelsea Ross, Northern Iowa

 
Player of the Year/Newcomer of the Year
Cacy Williams
 
Coaching Staff of the Year
Kristi Bredbenner (3rd Season)
Samantha Ricketts (3rd Season)
Samantha Sheeley (3rd Season)