The Valpo softball program had a pair of players honored Wednesday as the Missouri Valley Conference unveiled its postseason awards. Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) earned Second Team All-MVC honors at UT/P for a second straight season, while Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) represented the Beacons on the All-Defensive Team.
 
Lopez made an impact for the Beacons both at the plate and in the circle for a second straight season. At the plate, she OPSed .761 while scoring 11 runs and driving in 15. Lopez ranked second on the team and 14^th in the Valley with 25 walks drawn, while her on-base percentage ranked among the top-25 in the MVC as well. In the circle, she posted a 9-8 record and tied for the MVC lead with five saves, while striking out 80 batters in 102.2 innings of work. Lopez was among the top-10 pitchers in the Valley in WHIP and strikeouts/game in addition to her conference-leading save total.
 
Lopez earned All-Conference accolades in each of her final three collegiate seasons, as she was a First Team All-Conference selection in 2024 at MSU Moorhead before earning Second Team All-MVC accolades last season in her first year at Valpo. Lopez is the first Valpo player to earn multiple All-MVC honors since Valpo joined the conference — the program's last multi-time All-League player was Carly Trepanier, who earned Second Team All-Horizon League accolades in 2016 and 2017.
 
Jackson represents Valpo on the All-Defensive Team for her fine defensive work patrolling center field in 2026. The sophomore was nearly flawless in the field, committing just one error in 93 chances for a .989 fielding percentage. Jackson counted seven outfield assists among her chances, the most by a Valpo outfielder since 2023 — most notably, two of Jackson's assists came in the same game against UNI March 22, making her the first Valpo outfielder with multiple assists in a game since 2015.