UL Softball Places Eight on All-Sun Belt Conference Team
Numerous members of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns have earned postseason Sun Belt Conference honors.
Eight members of Louisiana's regular-season championship squad were named to the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Postseason All-Conference team which was released on Monday, including four on the first teams and four more on the second team.
In addition, Ciara Bryan was named Player of the Year as well as Newcomer of the Year, while Summer Ellyson was named Pitcher of the Year and Gerry Glasco Coach of the Year.
It's the 13th time overall in program history that Louisiana has swept both of the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and the Pitcher of the Year.
Bryan, who transferred from Georgia, became the first Sun Belt player to be crowned the league’s top player and newcomer in the same season since the newcomer award was installed in 2017. The Covington, Georgia, native led the conference with 75 hits, which ranks third in the nation, a .434 batting average, and 31 stolen bases, tied for eighth nationally.
Ellyson was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Team for the third-straight time and won her second Pitcher of the Year honor after going 20-6 with a 2,17 ERA. and 151 strikeouts.
Pitcher Kandra Lamb and outfielder Kendall Talley were also named to the first team, while third baseman Kaitly Alderink, shortstop Alyssa Dalton, catcher Julie Rawls, and first baseman Justice Milz were named to the second team.
Lamb posted career-highs in wins (15) and strikeouts (139), while Talley hit .355 during the regular season, second on the squad.
Alderink hit .338 with 14 stolen bases, while Dalton hit .356 with 23 runs batted in, despite missing 17 games due to injury.
Finally, Rawls led the team in homers (9) and RBI's (50), while Milz clubbed 8 homers while hitting.304.
Gerry Glasco, who guided the Cajuns to a 40-10 record, their 22nd-consecutive season with 40 or more wins, won his second Coach of the Year Award.
View the 2021 All-Sun Belt Conference Team below:
2021 Sun Belt Conference Postseason Awards
Player of the Year: Ciara Bryan, Louisiana
Pitcher of the Year: Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
Freshman of the Year: Sara Vanderford, Texas State
Newcomer of the Year: Ciara Bryan, Louisiana
Coach of the Year: Gerry Glasco, Louisiana
All-Conference First Team
Ciara Bryan, Louisiana
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
Sara Vanderford, Texas State
Leanna Johnson, Troy
Jessica Mullins, Texas State
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama
Kj Murphy, UTA
Katie Webb, Troy
Jayden Mount, ULM
Kandra Lamb, Louisiana
Kendall Talley, Louisiana
Meredith Keel, South Alabama
Tara Oltmann, Texas State
Jade Sinness, Troy
Katie Lively, Troy
All-Conference Second Team
Kelly Horne, Troy
Meagan King, Texas State
Mackenzie Brasher, South Alabama
Bailee Wilson, Georgia Southern
Makiya Thomas, Coastal Carolina
Kaitlyn Alderink, Louisiana
Abby Krzywiecki, South Alabama
Kenzie Longanecker, App State
Alissa Dalton, Louisiana
Julie Rawls, Louisiana
Korie Kreps, ULM
Kayla Rosado, Coastal Carolina
Justice Milz, Louisiana
Gabby Buruato, Appalachian State
Arieann Bell, Texas State