After a prolific rookie campaign, Valpo soccer freshman Kiara Desiderio (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) was honored Wednesday as the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year as the Valley unveiled its postseason award winners. Desiderio was joined as a Second Team All-MVC honoree by senior Molly O'Rear (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), while fellow rookie Martha Goddard (London, England/Alleyns School) earned a spot alongside Desiderio on the MVC All-Freshman Team.
 
Desiderio earned the conference's top honor for a freshman after stepping in immediately to lead the Valpo attack this season. She tallied a team-best seven goals, good for third-most among MVC players and tied for fifth-most among all D-I freshmen, and added an assist as well for 15 points, fourth-most in the Valley. Desiderio's seven goals are tied for third-most by a Valpo freshman in program history and are the most by a rookie since 2009.
 
Desiderio is Valpo's first Freshman of the Year honoree since the program joined the MVC. She is the fifth Freshman of the Year in program history, joining Lori Moore (1999) and Sarah Jewell (2006) in the Mid-Continent Conference days and Morgan Manzke (2013) and Vanesa Abad (2014) from its time in the Horizon League.
 
Previously an All-Freshman Team selection in 2022, O'Rear picks up Second Team All-MVC honors this season after tallying five goals and three assists — ranking eighth in the conference in both goals and points. Three of O'Rear's five goals came within MVC play, just one off the conference best, including the match-winner in the Beacons' win over Belmont. O'Rear's season capped a four-year career where she made 73 appearances in the Brown and Gold, recording nine goals and seven assists.
 
Goddard joins Desiderio on the All-Freshman Team, pairing with her classmate up top in the attack. She finished the season with three goals and a team-best five assists, ranking third on the team with 11 points. Goddard tied Valpo's record for assists by a freshman, matching Rachel Hoaglin's 2009 rookie season. Overall, Goddard's five assists are tied for fourth in a single season in program history and tied for second among MVC players this year. This marks the first time since the 2021 season that the Beacons have had multiple All-Freshman Team honorees.