OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On the heels of the squad’s inaugural regular season as members of the Big 12, the UCF softball team saw five Knights earn spots on the conference’s post-season All-Conference teams as announced by the Big 12 Wednesday morning.
Right-handed pitcher/outfielder Sarah Willis leads the charge as UCF’s representative on the Big 12’s All-Conference First Team, followed by first baseman Shannon Doherty and right fielder Chloe Evans, who both earned selections to the All-Conference Second Team.
Freshman infielder/outfielders Samantha Rey and Sierra Humphreys also made memorable impacts in their first collegiate seasons, with both earning Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors as well.
ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
Another year, another All-Conference First Team selection for Willis, who earns the honors for the second time in as many seasons with UCF after garnering AAC All-Conference First Team recognition in 2023. She earns post-season conference honors for the third time in her career overall, after she was tabbed to the Pac-12’s All-Freshman Team following her freshman year at Washington.
The right-hander once again took up the mantle of leading the Knights pitching staff, tossing a team-high 114.1 innings through UCF’s 52 regular-season games. She posted a 2.39 ERA in her 26 appearances (20 starts) accompanied by 99 strikeouts, a batting average-against of just .212, nine complete games, two solo shutouts and a pair of saves.
Her 2.34 ERA within conference play ranked fifth-lowest in the Big 12, and she also ranked among Big 12 leaders in conference play in batting average-against (.192, 4th), complete games (8, 4th), shutouts (2, T-4th), strikeouts (57, 5th) and innings pitched (71.2, 7th).
Willis on 13 occasions threw at least five innings in an appearance, tossing at least six innings 10 times and spinning all seven frames four times. Her regular season was highlighted by a dazzling start against then-No. 2 Oklahoma April 27, when she became the first pitcher in NCAA Division I softball since 2022 to throw a seven-inning complete game with two or fewer hits allowed against the Sooners.
She put a bow on her regular season efforts with a seven-inning, two-hit shutout against Iowa State in the teams’ series finale May 5, and enters this week’s Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship ranking among the conference leaders in starts (20, T-3rd), complete games (9, T-5th), innings pitched (114.1, 6th), strikeouts (99, T-6th), batting average-against (.212, 6th), and ERA (2.39, 9th).
ALL-BIG 12 SECOND TEAM
Doherty earns a selection to post-season All-Conference honors for the second straight year and third time in her career overall, after she was tabbed to the AAC’s All-Conference First Team in 2023 and The American’s All-Rookie Team in 2021.
The Knights’ veteran first baseman finished the season as UCF’s batting leader within conference play, as her .344 average (22-for-64) paced the squad among players to make at least 24 starts. She also added a pair of doubles, two home runs, 30 total bases and 14 walks in conference play this spring.
Over UCF’s weekend series in Ames, Iowa, Doherty went a combined 5-for-10 with two doubles and one home run against Iowa State, on the heels of her squad’s series against then-No. 2 Oklahoma that saw her record a pair of hits including a solo home run in the seventh inning of UCF’s regular-season home finale.
Doherty this season also became the 12th Knight in program history to eclipse 200 career hits with UCF, singling in the top of the first inning of the Black and Gold’s contest at Houston April 14.
Evans, meanwhile, was tabbed to an All-Conference Second Team for the third time in her career, after garnering AAC All-Conference Second Team honors in 2023 and All-Big Ten Second Team recognition with Minnesota in 2022.
The Knights’ right fielder racked up 12 extra-base hits, 19 RBI and 45 total bases within Big 12 Conference play this spring, all representing team-leading marks to accompany her .272 batting average. She represented the lone Knight to start each of UCF’s 27 conference games, also adding 13 runs scored, three walks and three stolen bases.
Her eight doubles ranked tied for third-most in the Big 12 in conference play, the first two of which aided UCF in earning the first Big 12 Conference series win in program history over Kansas March 8-10.
She came through with a walk-off, eighth-inning RBI double against the Jayhawks March 9 that clinched the series win, and later notched back-to-back three-hit games in UCF’s series at Texas Tech March 28-29 to help lift the Knights to the first road Big 12 Conference series win in program history.
The senior outfielder impressed in UCF’s series against the second-ranked Sooners as well, going 4-for-11 with two home runs, one double, four RBI and two runs scored.
ALL-BIG 12 FRESHMAN TEAM
Among Knights freshmen to make their collegiate debuts this season, the contributions of Humphreys and Rey shone the brightest this spring in the eyes of fellow conference head coaches.
In Big 12 play, Humphreys recorded a .278/.286/.389 (15-for-54) line accompanied by five runs scored, three doubles, one home run, 11 RBI and 21 total bases in her 23 games (17 starts). The Corona, California, native also ranked tied for first in the Big 12 in conference play with a 1.000 batting average with the bases loaded this season.
After hitting safely in both of UCF’s first two Big 12 Conference series against Kansas and Texas Tech, Humphreys broke out during the Knights’ weekend in Lubbock, Texas, going 3-for-6 with a two-run home run and two runs scored.
Her long ball represented a key hit for her squad, as it tied the game in the top of the fourth inning and helped UCF erase an early 4-0 deficit en route to an 8-5 comeback win.
Humphreys later recorded her first multi-double game as a Knight in UCF’s 11-0 run-rule win at Houston April 13, and earned a pair of hits and scored a run against No. 2 Oklahoma April 26-28.
Rey appeared in 20 games within Big 12 play, including 10 starts, during which she compiled a .267/.290/.300 (8-for-30) line, along with six runs scored, one double, two RBI, nine total bases and one walk.
She also contributed near-spotless defense, committing just two errors in her 23 chances in the field while recording 13 putouts, eight assists, and helping to turn a pair of double plays.
The freshman infielder recorded her third collegiate multi-hit game in UCF’s series finale at Texas Tech March 30 and hit safely in both ends of the Knights’ April 21 doubleheader at Baylor.
Most recently, Rey also notched a pair of hits in UCF’s final two games at Iowa State May 4-5, going 2-for-6 with her first career double, two runs scored and one RBI.
2024 All-Big 12 Award Winners
Player of the Year: Reese Atwood, Texas
Pitcher of the Year: Lexi Kilfoyl, Oklahoma State *
Defensive Player of the Year: Kinzie Hansen, Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: Teagan Kavan, Texas
Coach of the Year: Mike White, Texas
All-Big 12 First Team
Shaylon Govan, Baylor, INF, Jr.
Ailana Agbayani, BYU, SS/P, So.
Huntyr Ava, BYU, 1B, Sr.
Sarah Willis, UCF, P/OF, Sr.
Alyssa Brito, Oklahoma, UTL, Sr.
Jayda Coleman, Oklahoma, OF, Sr. *
Kinzie Hansen, Oklahoma, C, Gr. *
Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma, INF, Sr.
Kelly Maxwell, Oklahoma, P, Gr.
Karli Godwin, Oklahoma State, INF, Fr.
Lexi Kilfoyl, Oklahoma State, P, Gr. *
Caroline Wang, Oklahoma State, C, Sr. *
Reese Atwood, Texas, C/1B, So. *
Citlaly Gutierrez, Texas, P, So.
Teagan Kavan, Texas, P, Fr.
Ashton Maloney, Texas, OF, RS-So.
Mia Scott, Texas, UTL, Jr. *
Kailey Wyckoff, Texas Tech, C, OF
All-Big 12 Second Team
Aliyah Binford, Baylor, P/INF, Jr.
Emily Hott, Baylor, UTL, Sr.
Shannon Doherty, UCF, 1B, Fifth Year
Chloe Evans, UCF, OF, Sr.
Turiya Coleman, Houston, C, UTL, Jr.
Angelina Allen, Iowa State, OF, Jr.
Lyric Moore, Kansas, C/UTL, Sr.
Rylie Boone, Oklahoma, OF, Sr.
Kierston Deal, Oklahoma, P, So.
Ella Parker, Oklahoma, UTL, Fr.
Alynah Torres, Oklahoma, UTL, Sr.
Ivy Rosenberry, Oklahoma State, P, Sr.
Kayden Henry, Texas, OF, Fr.
Viviana Martinez, Texas, SS/2B, So.
Katie Stewart, Texas, C/IF, Fr.
Abbie Orrick, Texas Tech, INF, Sr.
Riley Love, Texas Tech, INF, Sr.
Arriana Villa, Texas Tech, UTL, Sr.
All-Big 12 Freshman Team
Sierra Humphreys, UCF, INF
Samantha Rey, UCF, INF
Bethany Aguilar, Houston, INF
Ella Parker, Oklahoma, UTL
Kasidi Pickering, Oklahoma, UTL
Rosie Davis, Oklahoma State, INF
Karli Godwin, Oklahoma State, INF
Kayden Henry, Texas, OF, Fr.
Teagan Kavan, Texas, P, Fr.
Katie Stewart, Texas, C/IF, Fr.
Logan Halleman, Texas Tech, OF, Fr.
Raegan Jennings, Texas Tech, INF, Fr.
*All 12 student-athletes were unanimous selections
*Indicates unanimous selection
Players are sorted alphabetically by school.
UP NEXT
UCF’s five All-Conference honorees look to lead their squad to victory over the Baylor Bears in the quarterfinal round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship Thursday night. First pitch is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET from OGE Field at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the game will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
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