DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University softball had five student-athletes earn Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators on Tuesday. Juniors Abby Owen and Hannah Zabik and sophomores Carson Bradsher, Mackenzie Newcomb and Kaci Stephenson all received recognition for meeting the academic and athletic requirements.

Owen, a first baseman from Chatham, Virginia, started 40 games. The aviation and criminal justice major totaled seven hits with one double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Zabik, a pitcher and outfielder from Sykesville, Maryland, started all 43 games. She went 12-12 in the circle in 27 appearances with 24 while striking out 74 and had a 3.14 ERA in 142.2 innings pitched. At the plate, the psychology major batted .284 with 40 hits, including one double and one triple, with 20 RBIs and 26 runs scored. She also went 11-for-12 on stolen base attempts, and she was named Junior Female Athlete of the Year at Averett's Night of Champions.

Bradsher, an outfielder from Cedar Grove, North Carolina, earned All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference First Team honors in her first season with the Cougars after transferring to Averett. The business major led the team with a .453 batting average with 73 hits, including seven doubles and one triple, finished with a team-high 40 runs scored to go with 12 RBIs and led the team with 22 stolen bases. Bradsher broke the program's single-season record for hits with 73, earned ODAC Player of the Week once and was selected as Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year at Averett's Night of Champions.

Newcomb, a shortstop from Victoria, Virginia, earned All-ODAC Third Team honors this season after starting all 43 games for the Cougars. The nursing major batted .353 with 49 hits, including nine doubles, two triples and one home run, drove in 32 runs and scored 27 runs while stealing eight bases. Stephenson, a pitcher from Fredericksburg, Virginia, pitched in 24 games, making 15 starts in the circle with a 4-10 record and 20 strikeouts in 95.1 innings pitched. The health and sport science major also batted .375.