Illinois State soccer student-athlete Kate Del Fava capped off a successful collegiate career during the second weekend of November, being honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year while leading her team to the conference championship game. Although the Redbirds fell just short of the Valley title, the Illinois State fan base has much to be proud of in a season that saw many team and individual records shattered.
Del Fava, who was also named All-MVC First Team, led the conference in almost every offensive category in her senior season, including, goals (17), points (39), and game-winning goals (7). The senior ranked consistently in the top-10 of all of NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer in scoring, while maintaining a perfect 4.0. She is majoring in pre-veterinarian studies and animal science.
The Kenosha, Wisconsin, native is an Illinois State Robert G. Bone Scholar and one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award, an award that focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact in their community.
