DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton softball team posted one of its best seasons in program history for 2013, tallying a school-record 12 conference wins and making its fifth appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship. Head coach Cara LaPlaca, who just wrapped up her sixth season at the helm of the program, guided her team to a 22-24 overall record - the program's best winning percentage (.478) since 2005 - and a 12-9 mark in league action. The 22 wins on the season ties coach LaPlaca's highest single-season win total and 2013 was her fourth 20-win season at Dayton.
The Flyers finished the 2013 regular season in sixth place in conference standings, earning the program's fifth appearance in the A-10 Tournament, its second in the last three seasons.
"We are very proud of the accomplishments of our 2013 team," commented coach LaPlaca. "The progress of our program in the last several years has been outstanding. The contributions from individuals that have set new program records continue to raise the standard of UD softball, but more importantly, the advancement of Dayton Flyers Softball has been a true team effort."
More 2013 Season Highlights:
- Sophomores Kayla English (RHP) and Tiffany Ricks (DP) were named to the All-Conference Second Team while freshman Emily Froment (RHP) earned All-Rookie team honors. Senior Kathleen Maloof was named to the All-Academic Team.
- Maloof was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Five First Team.
- Junior Kasi Vazquez earned two A-10 Player of the Week honors while sophomore Kayla English was named A-10 Pitcher of the Week three times during the season. Freshman Paige Rhodes garnered one A-10 Rookie of the Week nod.
- Junior Kasi Vazquez was named to CollegeSportsMadness.com's Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team. She earned CSM.com A-10 Player of the Week honors on April 1. Sophomore Kayla English was named CSM.com's A-10 Preseason Pitcher of the Year and earned CSM.com weekly honors on March 4.
- Junior Alysha Isaacson set a new school record with five saves to lead the team and the Atlantic 10 and ranked 11th nationally.
- Senior Kathleen Maloof set a new school record for career doubles (44) and also holds the single-season doubles record with 19 (2010). She also set a new school record for career at-bats (605) and tied the school record for most games played in a career with 200.
- Sophomore Kayla English improved her program-record strikeouts per seven innings mark which now stands at 7.48 over two seasons as a Flyer. She moved up to fourth place in the career strikeouts list (308) and her 174 Ks in 2013 is the second-most in a single-season in UD history.
- The team posted a 3.63 overall ERA which ranked sixth in the A-10 and was the lowest team ERA for the Flyers since the 2005 season.
- Team Awards:
Most Improved Player: freshman Kathryn Hess
Rookie of the Year: freshman Emily Froment
Flying Right Award: senior Kathleen Maloof
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: sophomore Natalie Mariano and junior Dana Trotta
Offensive Player of the Year: junior Kasi Vazquez
Most Valuable Player: junior Kasi Vazquez
