University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Bunch, Opiola Named Preseason All-MVC
3/16/2021 10:05:00 AM | Softball
St. Louis – The Missouri Valley Conference has announced the 2021 Preseason Coaches' Poll and Preseason All-Conference Team. UNI was selected 4th by MVC coaches while Sammey Bunch and Adara Opiola each landed on the preseason all-conference team.
The Panthers finished the shortened 2020 season with a 7-14 record after going 28-23 and making the MVC Championship game in 2019. UNI received 70 points and 1 first place vote in the poll, behind Missouri State (78), Illinois State (87), and Southern Illinois who finished with 96 points and 6 first place votes.
Sammey Bunch, the 2019 MVC Player of the Year, was selected to the Preseason All-MVC Team with 2019 All-Tournament Team member Adara Opiola. The redshirt seniors have returned for their extra year of eligibility to lead a young Panther softball program.
Bunch has already won 2 MVC Player of the Week honors in 2021 and has already recorded a .421 batting average with 11 home runs, 24 hits and 19 RBIs while recoding 29 putouts and 47 assists at shortstop. Opiola has recorded 5 hits with 3 RBIs and 2 stolen bases while recording a 1.000 fielding percentage with 1 putout and 8 assists on the season.
Preseason All-MVC Team
1B Alley Ivey, Loyola
2B Maddy Vermejan, Southern Illinois
3B Andrea Coursey, Illinois State
3B Adara Opiola, UNI
SS Sammey Bunch, UNI
C Katelyn Massa, Southern Illinois
UT/P Mack Leonard, Illinois State
DP/UT-NP Taise Thompson, Bradley
OF Eryn Gould, Evansville
OF Jenny Jansen, Southern Illinois
OF Macy Johnson, Drake
P Morgan Day, Illinois State
P Sarah Harness, Southern Illinois
2021 MVC Coaches Poll
1. Southern Illinois (6) 96
2. Illinois State (2) 87
3. Missouri State 78
4. UNI (1) 70
5. Drake (1) 57
6. Indiana State 44
7. Evansville 40
8. Bradley 35
9. Valparaiso 28
10. Loyola 15
The Panthers finished the shortened 2020 season with a 7-14 record after going 28-23 and making the MVC Championship game in 2019. UNI received 70 points and 1 first place vote in the poll, behind Missouri State (78), Illinois State (87), and Southern Illinois who finished with 96 points and 6 first place votes.
Sammey Bunch, the 2019 MVC Player of the Year, was selected to the Preseason All-MVC Team with 2019 All-Tournament Team member Adara Opiola. The redshirt seniors have returned for their extra year of eligibility to lead a young Panther softball program.
Bunch has already won 2 MVC Player of the Week honors in 2021 and has already recorded a .421 batting average with 11 home runs, 24 hits and 19 RBIs while recoding 29 putouts and 47 assists at shortstop. Opiola has recorded 5 hits with 3 RBIs and 2 stolen bases while recording a 1.000 fielding percentage with 1 putout and 8 assists on the season.
Preseason All-MVC Team
1B Alley Ivey, Loyola
2B Maddy Vermejan, Southern Illinois
3B Andrea Coursey, Illinois State
3B Adara Opiola, UNI
SS Sammey Bunch, UNI
C Katelyn Massa, Southern Illinois
UT/P Mack Leonard, Illinois State
DP/UT-NP Taise Thompson, Bradley
OF Eryn Gould, Evansville
OF Jenny Jansen, Southern Illinois
OF Macy Johnson, Drake
P Morgan Day, Illinois State
P Sarah Harness, Southern Illinois
2021 MVC Coaches Poll
1. Southern Illinois (6) 96
2. Illinois State (2) 87
3. Missouri State 78
4. UNI (1) 70
5. Drake (1) 57
6. Indiana State 44
7. Evansville 40
8. Bradley 35
9. Valparaiso 28
10. Loyola 15
Players Mentioned
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