NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Franklin Pierce had one softball All-American all-time. Now it has three. The Northeast 10 regular season champions were rewarded with a pair of All-America third team selections from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). NE10 Co-Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year Camryn Van Valkenburgh and Alicia Ott were both selected to the third team along with Assumption's Maddy Bland -- who was the NE10 Championship hero with a walkoff home run.
Van Valkenburgh became the first dual Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in conference history. She led the league, hitting .429 with 24 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Ott held down the middle of the order as the other half of Pierce's dynamic freshman California duo. The infielder drove in an NE10-best 59 runs with 108 total bases (third in the conference).
CVV and Ott are the second and third All-Americans in Ravens history, following former catcher Ashley Cangiano in 2023.
Maddy Bland is the conference's third All-American this year. She stole 37 bases while hitting over .400 and slugging over .700. Bland belted 32 extra-base hits, headlined by the home run that walked off the NE10 Championship against Southern New Hampshire. Bland has excelled in Worcester after transferring in from fellow NE10 program Saint Rose. Bland is the fifth All-American in Greyhounds history and the first since Julie Phipps (1st team) and Stephanie Martin (3rd team) in 2000.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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