BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Six Hilltoppers were named to the 2021 Conference USA Second Team All-Conference squad the league office announced Tuesday. Kelsey Aikey, Maddie Bowlds, Paige Carter, Shelby Nunn, Kendall Smith and Kennedy Sullivan were voted to the list by the C-USA coaches.
Aikey, Nunn and Smith were all named to the Preseason All-Conference list in early February. Smith earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2019 while Aikey collected Second Team recognition and Sullivan was named to the All-Freshman Team.
One of the two Senior CLASS Award Candidates on the Hilltopper squad, Aikey owns a 2.71 ERA while making 16 starts and tossing seven complete games as a redshirt-senior. The Cedar Falls, Iowa native has worked 85.1 innings in the circle while striking out 92 batters and holding opponents to a .241 average against. She sits eight strikeouts away from tying the WKU career strikeouts record (562). Aikey drew all five starts in WKU's contests against Power 5 squads and matched her career high of 13 strikeouts in the Tops' game against Eastern Kentucky.
The second redshirt-senior on the squad, Carter, has earned All-Conference recognition for the first time of her career. Carter owns a team-best .382 batting average, .763 slugging rate and .478 on-base percentage along with 11 home runs this season. The Crown Point, Indiana, native has found her home in the leadoff slot and outfield for the Hilltoppers. Carter was named the Conference USA Hitter of the Week on May 3 and has racked up 15 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI outings. She enters the postseason with a 15-game reached base streak. During Senior Weekend, Carter set a new single-season record for doubles with her 17th. She was also named to the 2021 C-USA All-Academic Team.
WKU Softball's second Senior CLASS Award Candidate on the roster, Smith, earned All-Conference recognition for back-to-back seasons awards have been distributed. The Bowling Green, Ky., native has started all 39 games behind the plate and thrown out 10 runners attempting to steal. Smith's slashing .288/.393/.449 overall on the season while hitting clean-up for the Hilltoppers. She's tallied eight multi-hit games and five multi-RBI outings this season.
A fellow Bowling Green native, Nunn has earned the first All-Conference nod of her career with the Second Team recognition. Nunn owns a 10-3 record in the circle with a 2.25 ERA along with two saves. She's worked 74.2 innings while striking out 47 batters across 21 total appearances. Nunn also worked to a 1.86 ERA in C-USA games.
Also earning the first All-Conference honor of her career, Bowlds has started 37 games for the Hilltoppers at first base during her redshirt-junior campaign. The Utica, Kentucky, native slashed .306/.350/.361 across the season while delivering 11 multi-hit games and two three-hit efforts against Indiana State and FIU. Bowlds has helped the Red and White turn a team-best nine double plays this season.
After earning All-Freshman honors in 2019, Sullivan was named to the Second Team All-Conference squad as a DP/Utility player. Hitting primarily in the three-hole, Sullivan has spent time pitching, playing outfield and at the designated player role. Her 1.06 RBI per game leads Conference USA as she's racked up 40 across 37 games this season. Sullivan has tallied three walk-off hits for the Hilltoppers in 2021, knocking in the winning run against No. 7 Kentucky, Charlotte and Florida Atlantic. She has racked up a slash line of .350/.410/.672 this season along with 43 hits, seven doubles and 11 home runs.
Six All-Conference honors – first or second team – is a new program record for the Hilltoppers. WKU saw five players earn recognition twice during the Sun Belt era and surpassed the 2019 number of four honorees.
2021 Conference USA Superlative Awards
Player of the Year: Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte
Pitcher of the Year: Hope Trautwein, North Texas
Freshman of the Year: Janie Worthington, North Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Tuesday DerMargosian, North Texas
Coach of the Year: Rodney DeLong, North Texas
All-Conference USA First Team
C – Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte
C – Sierra Frazier, UAB
INF – Kourtney Gremillion, Charlotte
INF – Venessa Gallegos, FIU
INF – Aly Harrell, Marshall
INF – Summer Burgess, Middle Tennessee
INF – Alyssa Davis, Southern Miss
OF – Tuesday DerMargosian, North Texas
OF – Destini Brown, Southern Miss
OF – Jenna Olszewski, UAB
OF – Jolie Readeaux, UAB
DP/Utility – Saige Pye, Marshall
P – Hope Trautwein, North Texas
P – Janie Worthington, North Texas
P – Amy Woodham, UAB
All-Conference USA Second Team
C – Ashlyn Walker, North Texas
C – Kendall Smith, WKU
INF – Kayla Whitehead, FIU
INF – Jessica Rivera, FIU
INF – Kailey Gamble, North Texas
INF – Analyse Petree, UAB
INF – Maddie Bowlds, WKU
OF – Nicole Bowman, Charlotte
OF – Mya Stevenson, Marshall
OF – Kelci Hill, Middle Tennessee
OF – Paige Carter, WKU
DP/Utility – Kennedy Sullivan, WKU
P – Madelyn Wright, Charlotte
P – GiGi Wall, North Texas
P – Kelsey Aikey, WKU
P – Shelby Nunn, WKU
All-Freshman Team
Cori Henderson, Charlotte
Madelyn Wright, Charlotte
Kaitlyn Cunningham, Florida Atlantic
Tristin Court, Louisiana Tech
Kylie Neel, Louisiana Tech
Lauren Menzina, Louisiana Tech
Kelci Hill, Middle Tennessee
Janie Worthington, North Texas
Maia Wark, North Texas
Ashlyn Walker, North Texas
Kat Ibarra, UTSA
How to Follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Softball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUSoftball, Instagram @WKU_Softball and Facebook.
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