INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – McKendree University women's basketball earned two major Great Lakes Valley Conference awards and had four players earn postseason awards as announced by the league office on Wednesday morning.  

McKendree's ninth-year head coach Kari Kerkhoff was honored as McKendree's first GLVC Chuck Mallendar Coach of the Year Award winner upon leading the Bearcats to a No.2 seed for the tournament after they were picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll. Overall, the season was historic for the McKendree women's basketball program. McKendree tallied its first 20-win season since becoming part of NCAA Division II in the 2013-14 school year and crushed its previous DII era record of 13 wins. The 20 victories marks the most for the program since the 2009-10 season. Additionally, McKendree's 16 conference wins were the most for the program since joining the league in 2013-14. Among many, season highlights included a nine-game winning streak, five games scoring 85 or more points, three overtime wins on the road, and the 100th career win for Coach Kerkhoff on Feb. 15.  

"Thank you to my colleagues for recognition, it's an honor and privilege to receive this award," said Kerkhoff. "Thank you to Coach Terra Helm, Coach Allison Pearson for their dedication this season, and my previous assistant Coach Sample for her recruiting efforts during her tenure. I love the quote 'surround yourself with people that make you better' and I'm lucky enough to have that. This award is for my staff and players; they believed in each other, showed up and did the work every day…and there's more work to be done. I appreciate each and every single one of them. They deserve this." 

McKendree's second major conference honor was awarded to senior forward Naomi McDaniel who was named McKendree's first-ever GLVC Defensive Player of the Year. McDaniel remained at the top of the charts in the league in blocks per game (1.8) overall in 28 games and blocks per game (2.0) in just conference games. Additionally, the 6'0 forward collected 225 total rebounds for an overall average of 8.0 per game and a conference-only average of 8.5 per game. For her two-year career at McKendree, she will join the women's basketball record books in career blocked shots, single-season blocked shots, and single-game blocked shots.  

Along with the major award, McDaniel was voted to the All-GLVC First Team. Besides topping the charts in blocks, she ranked third overall in the conference in field goal percentage (55.2 percent), sixth in rebounds, and 17th in scoring average (14.1 points per game).  

Joining McDaniel on the First Team was junior guard Clare Breden who finished the regular season second for the league in points per game (17.7 per game), was one of two guards in the top six for field goal percentage (47.9 percent), eighth in assists (3.4 per game), and 11th in free throw percentage (80.3 percent). This season, she netted 496 points with a season-high 27 in the overtime win against Indianapolis in late January. Breden has earned a spot in the McKendree record books for single-season free throws made as well as career free throws made with still a year left of eligibility with the Bearcats.  

Senior guard Madyson Harper garnered All-GLVC Third Team honors with a stellar performance from beyond the arc this season. She finished third overall in the GLVC in three-point percentage (40.6 percent) as well as seventh in three-pointers per game (2.1). Among her highlights for the season was a buzzer-beating floater in the final seconds of overtime against Lewis which led to the Bearcats' victory over the now-No.1 seed.  

Senior guard Maclayne Taylor was selected as McKendree's recipient of the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award. The 14 student-athletes named to the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Team earned the honor because they have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior during the 2023-24 season. The individuals named must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school's two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. 

All-GLVC Honorees: 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Reese Schaaf, So., G/F, Drury 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Naomi McDaniel, Sr., F, McKendree 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Molly Joyce, G, Truman State 

CHUCK MALLENDER COACH OF THE YEAR: Kari Kerkhoff, McKendree 

# Unanimous Selection 

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM  

Shariah Gailes, F, UIS 

Kayla Rice, G, UIS 

Mara Rieder, F, UMSL 

Mariann Blass, G, QU 

Molly Joyce, G, TSU 

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES

Anna Hitt, DU 

Ella Mann, UIS 

Patricia Chikamba, UINDY 

Alayna Soukup, LEWIS 

Maddy Meehan, MU 

Mac Taylor, MCK 

Eryn Puett, S&T 

Tori Stadeffer, UMSL 

Kealani Neves, QU 

Michele Origliasso, RU 

Kallyn Stumbo, SBU 

Kaitlyn Patke, TSU 

Mia Huberty, UIU 

Libby Arnold, WJC 

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD TEAM WINNER 

William Jewell