LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Big time performances by senior Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) and sophomore Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) powered the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team into the NCAA Tournament and garnered the duo NFCA Division III National Player of the Week honors as the Titans swept the organization's final weekly awards of the season Tuesday, May 13.
Khoury and Holland are the first Titans to earn the accolade since Ally Wiegand received it Feb. 25, 2020. Wiegand received the honor twice during her sensational IWU career, as she also garnered the distinction April 3, 2019. Khoury is the first Titan to receive the national hitter of the week honor since at least 2017. Additionally, it marks the first time a school has swept the national honors since Belhaven did so March 28, 2023.
Khoury and Holland were pivotal pieces in IWU's run through the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament, May 8-10. The Titans went 3-0 in the double elimination tournament to claim the league title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while breaking the program's longest win streak record. With its 4-2 victory over second-seeded Augustana, Illinois Wesleyan won its 22nd straight game.
Another program record fell over the course of the week as Khoury blasted three homers to break the career record. The Columbia, Ill. native hit .625 on the week with three roundtrippers, seven RBIs, and three runs scored. She slugged 1.750 for the tournament and clobbered homerun No. 34 of her career to break the record previously held by Sam Berghoff. Khoury hit two dingers in IWU's 13-3 six-inning throttling of Millikin, May 9, before tacking on a record-breaking solo shot in the championship game.
In the circle, Holland held things down for the Green and White as she came up big in each of the three games. After nabbing saves in Illinois Wesleyan's first two games of the tournament, Holland tossed a complete game on championship Saturday. The Shelbyville, Ill. native went all seven innings against Augie, limiting a potent offense to five hits, en route to a win as she lifted her season record to 8-1. The sophomore hurler threw a total of 12.1 innings, finishing the week 1-0 with two saves and a .214 opponent batting average.
Now, the Titans turn their attention to the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament as host to a regional for the first time since 2019. IWU kicks off the national tournament with an 11 a.m. game against Bethany Lutheran College Thursday, May 15, while Greenville University and Nebraska Wesleyan University will square off in the 1:30 p.m. game.
2025 Wilson/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
May 13 —
Mallory Holland, Illinois Wesleyan, So., RHP, Shelbyville, Ill.
May 6 — Paige Wilson, Pacific Lutheran, So., RHP, Carlsbad, Calif.
April 29 — Sydney Waldon, SUNY New Paltz, Sr., RHP, Maplewood, N.J.
April 22 — Gianna Adams, Carnegie Mellon, Fr., RHP, Scranton, Pa.
April 15 — Ainsley Evanetski, St. John Fisher, Sr., RHP, Rochester, N.Y.
April 8 — Sadie Leonard, Williams, Jr., RHP, Tiburon, Calif.
April 1 — Sadie Leonard, Williams, Jr., RHP, Tiburon, Calif.
March 25 — Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon, Sr., RHP, New Kent, Va.
March 18 — Darian Kanno, Hiram, Sr., RHP, Mililani, Hawaii
March 11 — Sarah DeStefano, Moravian, Jr., RHP, Ringoes, N.J.
March 4 — Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon, Sr., RHP, New Kent, Va.
2025 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
May 13 —
Ava Khoury, Illinois Wesleyan, Sr., 1B, Columbia, Ill.
May 6 — Sara Moore, Babson, Sr., OF, Kennett Square, Pa.
April 29 — Emma Lee, Trine, Jr., CF, Cottage Grove, Wis.
April 22 — Medora Rylee, St. Olaf, Sr., C, Chaska, Minn.
April 15 — Serena Gonzalez, Texas Lutheran, Jr., DP, Corpus Cristi, Texas
April 8 — Tauryn Cummings, East Texas Baptist, Gr., 3B, Houston, Texas
April 1 — Ellie Zerr, Emory, So., UT, San Diego, Calif.
March 25 — Paige Lathrop, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Jr., OF, South Milwaukee, Wis.
March 18 — Brooke Greaver, Christopher Newport, Gr., 3B, Abingdon, Md.
March 11 — Candace Slaw, Christopher Newport, So., OF, Rappahannock, Va.
March 4 — Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist, Gr., SS, Mission, Texas
