With the start of the 2026 softball season just a couple of weeks away, Valpo softball senior Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt) was tabbed a Preseason First Team All-MVC selection at UT/P as the conference office released its preseason All-Conference teams and poll favorites Thursday.
 
Lopez earns the preseason accolade after being named a Second Team All-MVC honoree at the conclusion of her first season with the Beacons in 2025. In the circle, Lopez posted 10 wins, four saves, a 2.89 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 138 innings of work while allowing opponents to hit just .218 off of her — the tenth-best mark in a single season in program history. She tied for the MVC lead in saves, ranked fifth in strikeouts and opponents' batting average, and eighth in ERA and wins.
 
At the plate, the two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week hit .254 with 14 runs scored and 25 RBIs. Lopez led the team with 10 doubles and ranked second in both RBIs and walks (23). She found her groove in the batter's box during conference play, hitting a team-best .307 in MVC play with an .835 OPS.
 
Lopez and the Beacons open the 2026 campaign on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the DePaul Dome Tournament in Rosemont, Ill.