Four members of the North Dakota Softball team were named to the All-Summit League squads, according to an announcement from the league on May 5. Tegan Livesay earned First Team honors, Jaedyn Valdez was named to the Second Team, and both Makenna Alexander and Taya Hopfauf received Honorable Mention accolades.
These awards recognize individual performances throughout the season and highlight standout athletes in Summit League softball. The recognition reflects strong contributions from these players during their respective campaigns.
Tegan Livesay, a junior pitcher from Newton, Kansas, was selected for the First Team after recording a 13-10 record with a 2.79 ERA over 28 appearances. She completed 15 games with six shutouts and held opponents to a .222 batting average while striking out 105 batters. Notably, she threw a no-hitter against North Dakota State on April 26 and delivered a season-high performance of over thirteen innings pitched on May 1 at St. Thomas.
Jaedyn Valdez, a freshman outfielder from Arroyo Grande, California, made the Second Team by leading her team with a .349 batting average across 46 games. She also contributed three home runs and led all freshmen in batting average within the league. Valdez had fourteen multi-hit games this season.
Senior catcher Taya Hopfauf received Honorable Mention after tallying five home runs and thirty RBIs while playing in all fifty-two games for North Dakota this year. She now holds the program record for most career games played at two hundred seven appearances. Sophomore infielder Makenna Alexander also earned Honorable Mention recognition by hitting .271 with five home runs and twenty-nine RBIs over fifty-two contests.
The full list of All-Summit League teams includes players from several schools across multiple positions as well as individual award winners such as Player of the Year Ella Cook (St. Thomas) and Coach of the Year Mike Heard (Omaha). For more information about North Dakota Softball or updates on these honorees’ future performances, fans are encouraged to follow @UNDsoftball or visit FightingHawks.com.
