Thomasville, NC, June 4, 2007 – Conference Carolinas announced the CVAC All-Time softball team as voted on by league sports information directors.  To help commemorate the final year as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference, the league is naming All-Time Teams in all of the conference sports. The league recently changed its name to Conference Carolinas on June 1, 2007.

 

With the recent completion of the 2007 Softball Season, an eleven member team was selected as nominated and voted on by league sports information directors. Coker College leads the All-Time Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women’s softball team with five members being named to the team, followed by Limestone College and Mount Olive College each with two selections, and Belmont Abbey College and Longwood University with a selection each.  Only those student athletes who competed or have competed in the CVAC for a minimum of two seasons are eligible for inclusion.  Active student-athletes who meet the criteria were also eligible.  

 

"Conference Members are excited to honor the best athletes of an era when competition was intense," stated Commissioner Alan Patterson.   Certainly the level of competition will only increase in the Conference Carolinas.  The single change is that the name better reflects the location of members based in a geographical area that is highly regarded throughout the country."

 

The All-Time All-CVAC teams are comprised from nominees from current member schools Anderson University, Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Coker College, Converse College, Erskine College, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, Mount Olive College, Pfeiffer University, Queens University of Charlotte, St. Andrews Presbyterian College and former members High Point University and Longwood University. 

 

Softball All-Time All-CVAC Team

 

 

Leigh Carter                                                  Belmont Abbey College

 

2005 CVAC Player of the Year and first-team shortstop. She finished the year with a league-leading .418 batting average which was 36th nationally. She amassed a career .354 batting average.

 

Somer Bigham                                              Coker College

 

Somer Bigham was Freshman of the Year, 4-time All-CVAC, 3-time All-Tournament Team. She ranks second all-time in strikeouts in a season at Coker with 220 in 2006.

 

Missy Patterson Hernandez                                  Coker College

 

3-time All-American, 4-time CVAC Softball Player of the Year, 3-time CVAC Female Athlete of the Year, 4-time First Team All-CVAC and All-Region, 4-time CVAC Softball Tournament MVP. She holds 17 Coker pitching records and holds the NCAA record (all divisions) for strikeouts per seven innings with 12.5, is second all-time in Division II in strikeouts (1,474), third in winning percentage (.882), fifth in shutouts (65), and seventh in earned run average (0.52).  Her 26-0 record and 14.2 strikeouts per game as a freshman are both NCAA single-season marks, and her ERA of 0.13 that season is third best all-time. 

 

Erica Holstein                                               Coker College

 

Erica Holstein was a 2-time CVAC Player of the Year, 4-time All-CVAC selection and 2-time All-Region selection. She led the Cobras to the Regional Tournament three times and twice to the CVAC championship. Holstein ranks third all-time in strikeouts in a season with 205.

 

 

Kelly Norris                                                    Coker College

 

Kelly Norris was a 3-time 1st Team All-Conference, 3-time All-region and an All-American player. She led the Cobras to three consecutive CVAC Championships, was the team leader in hitting two out of the three years she played in the CVAC.

 

Angela Williams                                           Coker College

 

Angela Williams was a 3-time first Team All-CVAC selection and a 3-time All-Region selection. She is third all-time for career batting average at Coker with a .427 BA, and she holds the record for most hits in a season at Coker with 99 hits. Williams also is second in RBIs in a season at Coker with 45 and runs scored in a season with 69.

 

Rebekah Kirkman                                         Limestone College

 

Kirkman was named Limestone College’s Best Offensive player two times, she was a 3-time All-CVAC honoree. She was second in the nation in homeruns her junior year, she holds the school record for single season and career homeruns. She is also in Limestone College’s record books for career RBI’s, single season hits, career doubles, single season batting average, and career games played. After graduation she received an invitation to tryout for Team USA and the US National Team.

 

Amy Yates                                                    Limestone College

 

Amy Yates had and outstanding four year career at Limestone College. She is the only player in Limestone College history to be named All-CVAC for four years. She Led the Lady Saints in most offensive categories while she was at Limestone College.

 

Jennifer Potts                                                Longwood University

 

Potts was the 2003 CVAC Female Athlete of the Year and 2002 CVAC Tournament MVP. She was a member of the 2001-02 CVAC Tournament All-Tournament Team, 2002-03 CVAC All-Academic Team, and 2003 CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-America 1st-Team.

 

Michelle Matthews                                       Mount Olive College

 

2000 All-America Second Team, 2000 All-South Atlantic Region First Team, 2000 CVAC Player of the Year, 2000 CVAC Tournament MVP, 4-time All-CVAC (2 first team, 2 second team). She was ranked in top 30 in nation in batting average and earned run average in 1998 and was tied for seventh in nation in saves. She led Mount Olive 2000 CVAC Tournament Championship and the 1997 regular season co-champions. Her team set school record with 35 wins in 1998 and again in 2000.

 

Heather Parker                                             Mount Olive College

 

Heather Parker was named to the 1998 CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. She was a 2-time All-CVAC first team selection and was named to All-Tournament Team at 1998 CVAC Tournament. She was tied for 13th in nation in slugging percentage, ranked nationally in top 30 in batting average, home runs and runs batted in, while tossing 14 complete games and 2 shutouts in 1996 She had 5 complete games and 3 shutouts in 1998. Mount Olive won share of 1997 regular season conference championship, 2nd place in 1998 regular season standings and was the 1998 CVAC Tournament runner-up.