INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced the 2026 Women's Lacrosse All-Conference selections on Thursday, April 30th, as seven members of the Bearcat program earned their way onto the list as announced by the league office.
McKendree garnered two major award winners, along with two selections on the first team, three on the second team, one honorable mention, and a James R. Spalding Sportsmanship award recipient. No other team in the GLVC put multiple players on the major award list.
Junior goalkeeper Amber Hayden (Woburn, Mass.) has been awarded the GLVC Goalkeeper of the Year for a second consecutive season, making it just the second time ever in the conference history that a cage guardian has won the honor back-to-back. She finished the season with 188 saves on a 53.9 save percentage in 15 games played, along with 35 ground balls, seven caused turnovers, and a pair of assists, while also scoring her first career goal on February 28th against Thomas More University. Hayden now holds the program career record for saves, where she broke it on April 12th at the University of Indianapolis, as she has now accumulated a total of 590.
Hayden also earned a spot on the First Team honorees after leading the conference in GLVC-only games in saves per game (14.0), total saves (98), while also finishing in the top-10 in save percentage (4th – 51.6%) and ground balls per game (8th – 2.0). Overall, she was top-10 in the league in goals-against average (7th – 10.9), saves per game (1st – 12.5), total saves (1st – 188), save percentage (1st – 53.9%).
The Massachusetts native was one of the best in the net within the entire nation, as she was top-25 in NCAA Division II in save percentage (2nd – 53.9%), total saves (4th – 188), and saves per game (3rd – 12.5).
Freshman attacker Elora Waardenburg (Cobble Hill, British Columbia, Canada) received the GLVC Freshman of the Year accolade after a strong first season with the Bearcats. She played and started all 17 matches and rounded the year with 38 goals and 16 assists for 54 total points, plus 28 ground balls, eight caused turnovers, and four draw controls on 51.4% shooting overall and 81.1% on the goal. Waardenburg's season was highlighted by a game-winning goal on the team's Senior Day against Quincy University on April 19th, where she nailed it towards the back of the net with 19 ticks left to win the contest 10-9.
Waardenburg was also named to the conference's second team squad – being only one of two freshmen in the group this year – after scoring in all but one of her games this season and recording seven hat-tricks and four times putting up five-plus points.
Senior Attacker Jayna Barnden (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) will put a stamp on her collegiate career with her second All-GLVC First Team nod, making it her third straight year making it on the team list. She was the main catalyst on the offensive end of the field for McKendree after leading the team in goals (56), assists (24), points (80), shots (109), shots on goal (92), game-winning goals (5), free position goals (5), and free position shots (17). Barnden has not scored only once in her four-year tenure, as she notched at least one goal in all 14 games played and started this season with nine hat-tricks and a career-high 12 points at Northwood University on March 26th. She also rounded out the season with 28 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers, nine draw controls, and shot 51.4% overall and 84.4% on the goal.
Within the conference, Barnden marked in the top-10 in total assists (7th – 24), assists per game (6th – 1.7), free position goals per game (0.7), free position percentage (5th – 58.8%), total goals (2nd – 56), goals per game (2nd – 4.0), ground balls per game (10th – 2.0), total points (3rd – 80), points per game (2nd – 5.7), shots per game (3rd – 7.8), and shots on goal per game (2nd – 6.6). In conference-only games, the native of Canada was top-10 in the league in total goals (6th – 19), goals per game (3rd – 3.8), total points (10th – 4.6), points per game (4th – 4.6), total shots (8th – 7.8), and shots per game (3rd – 7.8).
In the nation, Barnden was top-25 in goals per game (10th – 4.0), total points (23rd – 80), points per game (11th – 5.7), shots per game (12th – 7.8), and shots on goal per game (4th – 6.6). She picked up the GLVC Offensive Player of the Week award twice this season.
Freshman midfielder Olivia Imperato (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) tabbed a spot on the All-GLVC Second Team after a stellar first season on the defensive end of the playing field. In 10 games played and seven started, she totaled 27 ground balls, eight caused turnovers, and eight draw controls, as she picked up three-plus ground balls five times.
In GLVC-specific contests, Imperato was top-10 in total ground balls (2nd – 22) and ground balls per game (2nd – 3.1). Overall on the season, she was top-10 in total ground balls (9th – 2.7) and ground balls per game (2nd – 2.7).
Junior midfielder Lexi Macleod (Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada) joins two of her teammates (Imperato and Waardenburg) on the All-GLVC Second Team list, as she led her squad with 37 ground balls, 21 caused turnovers, and 74 draw controls, with her 19 draws won at William Jewell College on April 26 being the single-game individual record in program history. She also ended the season by starting 15 of her 17 games and registering 32 goals and 20 assists for 52 points on 42.7% shooting overall and 78.7% on the goal.
In GLVC-only games, Macleod was top-10 in total draw controls (3rd – 45) and draw controls per game (3rd – 6.4). On the year overall, she was top-10 in total ground balls (2nd – 37), ground balls per game (7th – 2.2), total draw controls (4th – 4.4), and draw controls per game (5th – 4.4). The product of Canada produced six hat-tricks this year and three times had five-plus points.
Junior defender Rylee Fox (Woodridge, Ill.) was selected to the Honorable Mention squad after picking up the GLVC Defensive Player of the Week accolade in just her first season on the defensive end of the turf. She rounded the year with one goal on 100% shooting both overall and on the net, along with 35 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers in starting all 17 games played. Six times Fox has scooped up three-plus ground balls, including her career high of six against Thomas More on February 28th.
Junior midfielder Mackenzie Stroisch (Arnold, Mo.) picked up her team's individual GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award, where she has distinguished herself through sportsmanship and ethical behavior throughout the entire season. The Missouri native has recorded 17 goals on the field and three assists for 20 points, along with 19 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers, and 30 draw controls in starting 15 of 17 matches played.
Stroisch is now eligible to become one of their school's two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced in May.
"I am super proud of this group," said Head Coach Natalie Simpson. "It was by far one of our most memorable years in the GLVC, despite being disappointed on missing out on the conference tournament, where we came just so close. We look to build upon this for next season, as we will return a plethora of our current team to the field while looking to welcome in our new additions as well. We would also like to give a huge thank you to our seniors, Jayna [Barnden] and Marin [Paulenko], for all their hard work and dedication to the program and McKendree University as a whole. Go Bearcats!"
COMPLETE LIST OF ALL-GLVC HONOREES
ATTACKER OF THE YEAR: Paige Murphy, Jr., A, Maryville #
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR: Mikenna Ham, Sr., D, Quincy
MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR: Malaena Michielin, Sr., MF, Indianapolis
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR: Amber Hayden, Jr., McKendree
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Elora Waardenburg, Att. McKendree
COACH OF THE YEAR: Peyton Romig, Indianapolis
FIRST TEAM
Olivia Bladon, Sr., MF, UINDY
Amanda Hurry, Jr., D, UINDY
Malaena Michielin, Sr., MF, UINDY
Mariah Whitfield, Jr., D, UINDY
Helen Bae, Sr., Att., MU
Dorothy Fife, Sr., D, MU
Paige Murphy, Jr., Att., MU
Jayna Barnden, Sr., Att., MCK
Amber Hayden, Jr., GK, MCK
Mikenna Ham, Sr., D, QU
Elise Magee, Sr., Att., RU
Kylee Pickens, So., MF, RU
Kylee Pickens, So., DC-Spec., RU
#Unanimous Selection
SECOND TEAM
Olivia Bladon, Sr., DC-Spec., UINDY
Sage Da Silva, Sr., MF, UINDY
Ava Graham, Jr., GK, UINDY
Hollis Rang, Sr., D, UINDY
Alexa Versaci, Sr., Att., UINDY
Jade McKinnon, So., MF, LEWIS
Alexis Riley, Fr., D, LEWIS
Haley Ritchie, Sr., D, MU
Olivia Imperato, Fr., D, MCK
Lexi Macleod, Jr., MF, MCK
Elora Waardenburg, Fr., Att., MCK
Caetryn Gilreath, R-Sr., Att., MWSU
Emily Leal, Sr., MF, QU
Amelia Ham, Sr., Att., QU
*Extra Member due to Tie
HONORABLE MENTION
Margaret Galloway, Fr., Att., UINDY
Megan Ghert, So., Att., UINDY
Eliana Cappellini, So., MF, LEWIS
Devyn Harley, So., D, LEWIS
Devyn Dimovitz, Jr., Att., MU
Natalie Tomljenovic, Jr., Att., MU
Rylee Fox, Jr., D, MCK
Ava Garaway, Jr., GK, MWSU
Maleah Sosa, Sr., D, MWSU
Jenna Lang, Jr., D, QU
Alaina Wilkinson, Jr., Att., QU
Chony Garza, Jr., D, RU
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Megan Gehrt, UINDY
Samantha Sandefur, LEWIS
Tia Sansone, MU
Mackenzie Stroisch, MCK
Brittan Gulick, MWSU
Chloe Kerwin, QU
Payton Thomas, RU
Miranda Menousek, WJC
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Rockhurst
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