UT Martin’s Kamryn Chappell was named the 2021 OVC Defender of the Year while the Skyhawks Parker Gelinas was selected as the Freshman of the Year. UTM’s Phil McNamara earned Coach of the Year honors. SIUE’s Mackenzie Litzsinger was named the Forward of the Year while teammate Andrea Frerker earned Midfielder of the Year honors. Belmont’s Andrea Leitner was tabbed the Goalkeeper of the Year.
Chappell (Flushing, Mich.) was part of a defense that recorded five shutouts in the regular season. The first team All-OVC played a team-high 1,468 minutes. She also recorded one assist. Chappell is the first Skyhawk to be named Defender of the Year.
Gelinas, a defender from Germantown, Tenn., was second on the team with 1,452 minutes played. She was part of a defense that recorded five shutouts during the regular season. The first team All-OVC and All-Newcomer team pick took three shots in 16 games played. Gelinas is the second straight Skyhawk to earn Freshman of the Year honors.
McNamara earns his third OVC Coach of the Year honor after winning the award in 2012 and 2018. He led his team to a share of its fifth regular season title posting a 6-2 OVC mark. The Skyhawks led the league giving up just 15 goals in the regular season while ranking second with 21 assists. UT Martin scored 26 goals to rank third.
Litzsinger (Fenton, Mo.) earned her second straight Forward of the Year honor after leading the league in points (22), points per game (1.47), goals (8), goals per game (0.53) and assist (6). The first team All-OVC pick also ranked among OVC leaders with 29 shots and 1.93 shots per game.
Frerker, a native of Collinsville, Ill., led the league with six assists. She recorded one goal, eight points and 27 shots during the regular season. In addition to being named Midfielder of the Year, Frerker was named to the All-OVC first team. She is the first Cougar to earn Midfielder of the Year honors.
A native of Scotch Plains, N.J, Leitner was second in the league with five shutouts while ranking third with a 1.00 goals-against average. The All-OVC first team selection had four clean sheets in OVC play while posting a 0.74 goals against average in league action.
SIUE had the most All-OVC First Team selections with four while Belmont and UT Martin each had two picks. Austin Peay, Murray State and Tennessee Tech each had one honoree. Joining, Chappell, Gelinas, Litzsinger, Frerker and Leitner on the first team are SIUE sophomore forward Lily Schnieders (Fenton, Mo.) and sophomore forward Maria Haro (St. Louis, Mo.); Austin Peay freshman midfielder Alec Baumgradt (Federal Way, Wash.); Belmont senior defender Rachel Vernon (Suwanee, Ga.); Murray State sophomore midfielder Hailey Cole (Nicholasville, Ky.); and Tennessee Tech junior forward Chloe Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Earning second team honors are: UT Martin graduate goalkeeper Erica Myers (Holland, Ohio), freshman forward Makayla Robinson (El Cajon, Calif.) and freshman forward Izzy Patterson (St. Louis, Mo.); Eastern Illinois junior forward Zenaya Barnes (Mundelein, Ill.) and freshman defender Sarah Hagg (Horgenzell, Germany); Southeast Missouri sophomore midfielder Kiana Khedoo (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) and freshman midfielder Elizabeth Rater (Mequon, Wis.); Tennessee Tech sophomore midfielder Meredith Nye (Jackson, Tenn.) and sophomore defender Selma Askildesen (Oslo, Norway); Belmont sophomore midfielder Maci Pekmezian (Melbourne Beach, Fla.); and Murray State graduate defender Izzy Heckman (Powder Springs, Ga.).
Twelve student-athletes make up the 2021 OVC All-Newcomer Team, which consists of freshman, redshirt freshman, transfers or other first-year players. In addition to Gelinas, making up the All-Newcomer team are: SUE freshman forward Kaitlyn Nichols (O’Fallon, Mo.) and freshman midfielder Grace Cobb (Defiance, Mo.); UT Martin freshman midfielder Izzy Patterson (St. Louis, Mo.) and freshman forward Makayla Robinson (El Cajon, Calif.); Austin Peay freshman midfielder Alec Baumgardt (Federal Way, Wash.); Belmont freshman defender Allison Brockelman (Henderson, Nev.); Eastern Illinois freshman defender Sarah Hagg (Horgenzell, Germany); Morehead State freshman forward Jenna Setters (Liberty Township, Ohio); Murray State freshman defender Morgan Bodker (Sunbury, Ohio); Southeast Missouri freshman midfielder Elizabeth Rater (Mequon, Wis.); and freshman midfielder Emily Payne (Stockholm, Sweden).
2021 ALL-OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Andrea Leitner, Belmont
Mackenzie Litszinger, SIUE
Lily Schnieders, SIUE
Maria Haro, SIUE
Chloe Smith, Tennessee Tech
Hailey Cole, Murray State
Andrea Frerker, SIUE
Alec Baumgradt, Austin Peay
Kamryn Chappell, UT Martin
Rachel Vernon, Belmont
Parker Gelinas, UT Martin
2021 OVC FORWARD OF THE YEAR: Mackenzie Litszinger, SIUE
2021 OVC MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR: Andrea Frerker, SIUE
2021 OVC DEFENDER OF THE YEAR: Kamryn Chappell, UT Martin
2021 OVC GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR: Andrea Leitner, Belmont
2021 OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Parker Gelinas, UT Martin
2021 OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Phil McNamara, UT Martin
SECOND TEAM
Erica Myers, UT Martin
Zenaya Barnes, Eastern Illinois
Makayla Robinson, UT Martin
Maci Pekmezian, Belmont
Izzy Patterson, UT Martin
Kiana Khedoo, Southeast Missouri
Elizabeth Rater, Southeast Missouri
Meredith Nye, Tennessee Tech
Izzy Heckman, Murray State
Selma Askildesen, Tennessee Tech
Sarah Hagg, Eastern Illinois
ALL-NEWCOMER
Katilyn Nichols, SIUE
Parker Gelinas, UT Martin
Izzy Patterson, UT Martin
Alec Baumgradt, Austin Peay
Elizabeth Rater, Southeast Missouri
Morgan Bodker, Murray State
Jenna Setters, Morehead State
Sarah Hagg, Eastern Illinois
Allison Brockelman, Belmont
Makayla Robinson, UT Martin
Grace Cobb, SIUE
Emily Payne, Tennessee Tech
(12 appear on the All-Newcomer Team due to ties)