East Peoria, IL - All eight qualifying teams for the 2026 GLVC Softball Tournament gathered inside the banquet space of the Stoney Creek Hotel to recognize all the postseason awards to be handed out by the conference. McKendree was well represented, getting two major awards, three All-GLVC selections, and a Sportsmanship Award.
LAUREN HARRIS - GLVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Harris won her 3rd GLVC Player of the Year honor, also being named First Team All-GLVC. A .469 hitter with 16 home runs and 59 RBI, Harris has been a mainstay atop scouting reports in league play, and won two GLVC Player of the Week honors in 2026.
HEATHER TARTER ON HARRIS
"Lauren has been special to us for four straight years. She is one of the most humble people we could possibly have on our team. She puts in the work. She puts her head down. She's confident. The team's confident in her. I couldn't be more proud of her."
SAMI HUCK - GLVC CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Sami Huck won GLVC Co-Pitcher of the Year, also being named First Team All-GLVC, and sharing the pitching honor with UIndy's Caitlin Bunte. Huck was an everyday shutout threat, sitting at 11 shutouts entering Thursday's GLVC Tournament game. Her strikeout numbers are another eye-popper, with 227 on the year. Allowing just a .910 WHIP and a .193 batting average against, successful plate appearances can certainly be hard to come by.
HEATHER TARTER ON HUCK
"She comes in, she puts in the work every single day. When she's on, she's dominant. You know what you're going to get with her, and the confidence our team has in her is huge. Really happy for her and the development she's had."
ELLIE VETTER - THIRD TEAM ALL-GLVC
Ellie Vetter was named Third Team All-GLVC. Vetter has been terrific down the stretch, not allowing a single run in each of her last three appearances in the circle. She's struck out 10 or more batters in three games and currently sits at a 2.27 ERA. Six Vetter appearances have also resulted, or perhaps not resulted, in any hits from the opposition.
ALI GRENZEBACH - JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Ali Grenzebach was named McKendree's recipient of the Spalding Sportsmanship Award. The award is given to one representative from each of the GLVC member institutions on a sport-to-sport basis, handed out to those "who actively demonstrate exemplary sportsmanship, character, and conduct during competition throughout the year".
