A-SUN ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS | A-SUN RELEASE
 
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team took home multiple honors as the Atlantic Sun Conference released its annual postseason awards and honors on Tuesday (May 6), with three Owl student-athletes named to the different all-conference teams, highlighted by sophomore Kara Chambers being selected as the A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Chambers joins senior Amanda Henderson and freshman Taylor Denton as Second-Team All-Conference honorees, while Denton also earned a spot on the A-Sun Freshman Team.
 
"It is a very big honor for Kara, Amanda and Taylor to be recognized by the conference," said head coach Wes Holly, Jr. "It speaks very highly of them and I am very proud of each of them. To be named Defensive Player of the Year is an exceptionally huge honor for Kara as she is just a sophomore. This year she worked very hard third base between last spring and this fall. It is a great achievement for her and proves all the hard work that she has put in over the last year. She has been solid both offensively and defensively for us this season."
 
Chambers has been a consistent contributor on both sides of the ball in 2014, starting all but one contest for the Owls. She owns an overall fielding percentage of .983 at the busy third base position, registering 67 putouts and 107 assists while only committing three errors in 51 games this season. In conference play, the Kennesaw, Ga., native holds a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 33 putouts and 52 assists to rank first in the league.  
 
Offensively, Chambers ranks second on the team with 29 runs scored, 50 hits, six doubles, 13 walks and 11 stolen bases. She has been a leader for the Owls in conference play, ranking in the top 10 in runs scored (t-sixth, 21), stolen bases (t-sixth, eight), hits (t-eighth, 29), and batting average (.382, seventh).
 
One of the most prolific pitchers in Kennesaw State softball history, Henderson has continued her dominance throughout her final season at KSU. She was the ace of the Owl pitching staff, owning a 2.53 ERA with 14 complete games, four shutouts and an 18-9 overall record in 158 innings pitched. She ranks in the top 10 in multiple pitching statistics in the A-Sun, including ranking second with 190 strikeouts and 44 looking strikeouts, as well as third in wins and innings pitched and fourth in the conference with 33 appearances this season. Henderson is also nationally ranked in strikeouts per seven innings (26th) and strikeouts (44th). In league play, the Covington, Ga., native leads the conference with 29 looking strikeouts, while also ranking second with 101 strikeouts and sixth with eight A-Sun victories.

"Amanda has been the backbone of the pitching staff for most of her time at KSU and her contributions to the team are hard to put into words," Holly said. "She is been so phenomenal throughout her career and in her senior season." 

Henderson will finish her career in the top 10 in the KSU record books in almost every pitching statistic at the conclusion of the 2014 season and owns 673 career strikeouts after topping the 600 mark earlier in the season. A three-time A-Sun All-Conference honoree, Henderson also took home First-Team accolades following her sophomore season and Second-Team honors a season ago.
 
One of only two freshmen on this season's squad, Denton made an immediate impact during her rookie campaign and was a unanimous choice on the Freshmen-Team. She leads the Owls with 51 hits, 34 runs and 15 stolen bases, while also ranking third on the team with a .333 batting average and fifth with 54 total bases this season. Playing in both the outfield and the infield, Denton has seen action in all 51 games for KSU, starting all but three contests. In A-Sun play, the Grayson, Ga., native elevated her game, pushing her batting average to .378 and ranking in a tie for third in the A-Sun with 23 runs scored. She also sits in a tie for fourth with nine stolen bases and sixth with 31 hits in league play. Her 17 multiple-hit contests led the Owls in that category.

"Taylor really has had a breakout freshman year," added Holly. "She is very energetic and very much a sparkplug at times. Offensively, she gets lots of things going on the base paths for us. She has also put the team first as she has had to bounce around a couple different positions for us. I am very proud of Taylor in her first year and I look for a lot more from her and Kara for years to come."

KSU next heads to Nashville, Tenn., for the 2014 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, held on May 7-10 at Draper Diamond on the campus of Lipscomb University. The No. 5 seeded Owls open the tournament against No. 4 Mercer on Wednesday (May 7) at 6:30 p.m. ET.
 
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State softball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsSB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
 
 

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