ORLANDO — One of the UCF softball team’s offensive leaders throughout the spring campaign, second baseman Sierra Humphreys garnered national recognition for her most recent prolific display at the plate.
On the heels of a strong weekend against the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Humphreys was tabbed D1Softball National Player of the Week. The selection represents the first national recognition of Humphreys’ career and the second weekly selection this spring for the Corona, California, native, who was previously named Big 12 Conference Player of the Week April 8.
The Knights second baseman was a tough out against Cyclones pitching all weekend, hitting for a combined .700/.750/1.400 line (7-for-10) with two home runs, one grand slam, one double, seven RBI, five runs scored, 14 total bases and two walks.
She began her week with a bang, blasting her first career grand slam, and UCF’s fifth of the season, in the first inning of the teams’ series-opener to give the Black and Gold an early 4-0 lead in UCF’s eventual 8-5 win.
Humphreys then went 2-for-3 with a run scored in game two of the series Saturday, and Sunday enjoyed a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate with her second home run of the weekend, one double and three runs scored.
The second baseman recorded multiple hits and scored at least one run in all three games, and with a .700 average became one of just two players in the Big 12 Conference this week to hit at least .700 in 10 or more at-bats, joining Texas Tech’s Lauren Allred.
SIX NAMED TO POST-SEASON ALL-BIG 12 CONFERENCE TEAMS
After having produced a dominant 38-win regular season, including a program record 14 wins in Big 12 Conference play, the No. 21 UCF softball team was well-represented in the league’s annual end-of-season awards as announced by the conference office.
Yet another new single season best for the program in its Big 12 era, the Knights saw six members recognized on this year’s post-season All-Big 12 teams, surpassing the five that earned such honors in both the 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Humphreys and right-handed pitcher Isabella Vega both earned selections to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team, while shortstop Aubrey Evans, catcher Beth Damon, and outfielders Izzy Mertes and Samantha Rey saw their names tabbed to the All-Big 12 Conference Second Team.
Sierra Humphries – All-BIG 12 First Team
Having taken yet another step forward both offensively and defensively in her third collegiate season, Humphreys lands on a postseason All-Big 12 team for the third time in as many years and is a First Team selection for the first time in her career.
The Corona, California, native this spring set new single-season career bests in average (.387), on-base percentage (.464), slugging percentage (.742), runs scored (46), doubles (14), total bases (115), home runs (13) and RBI (56), and is one hit shy of matching her previous season high of 61 last year.
She recorded 13 multi-RBI games throughout the regular season and added 15 multi-hit games, and in conference play paced her team with 31 total hits, nine home runs, 28 RBI and an .831 slugging percentage.
Humphreys hit home runs in three consecutive games two different times, first against Maryland, Missouri and Northwestern Feb. 8-13, and later against Houston and Utah March 29-April 3. Her prolific offensive series against the Utes, a weekend that saw her hit .700/.727/1.300 with a pair of home runs, eight RBI and 13 total bases, netted the second baseman her first career Big 12 Player of the Week recognition as well.
Isabella Vega – All-BIG 12 First Team
A Top 10 finalist for the NFCA’s National Freshman of the Year award a season ago, Vega followed her breakout 2025 debut campaign with a dominant 2026 slate in her second season as the Knights’ leading arm in the circle, earning a second consecutive All-Big 12 First Team nod.
Already having eclipsed her 135.2 innings from a season ago, Vega boasts a strong 2.88 ERA through her first 136 frames this spring, accompanied by 94 strikeouts and a batting average-against of just .204. Against conference opponents, her opposing batting average dipped even further to .201 in 85.2 innings, and she earned the winning decision in 11 of UCF’s 14 conference victories.
The right-hander this year also set new single-season career bests in winning decisions (17), saves (5) and complete games (11), and her five saves currently sit in a tie for the most in a single season in program history.
She played a pivotal role in the first winning trip to the Clearwater Invitational in program history in February, earning the winning decision in the Knights’ triumphs over Northwestern, then-No. 10 LSU and NC State, highlighted by a seven-inning complete game against the Wolfpack and 3.1 scoreless frames against the Tigers. For her efforts, she was also awarded her third career Big 12 Pitcher of the Week recognition.
Her 10-strikeout performance against George Washington Feb. 28 represented her most in a single game this season, and she later earned both winning decisions in the Knights’ first series win over then-No. 12 Oklahoma State in program history, throwing a two-hit complete game in the series-opener March 6.
Against Houston, Vega earned the winning decision in all three games, a series that saw the Bradenton native throw the first perfect game of her career and second career no-hitter in Saturday’s game two March 28, and with victories in both of the first two games against Utah April 2-3, Vega became the first Knight since Alea White in 2019 to earn the winning decision in six consecutive team games.
The right-hander would go on to throw complete games in wins over then-No. 23 Arizona State April 12, Kansas April 17, and Iowa State May 1 as well, and her 11 winning decisions in Big 12 Conference play would finish tied for second most in the league with Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady, behind only Oklahoma State’s Ruby Meylan (15).
Beth Damon – All-BIG 12 Second Team
In her second season as UCF’s starting catcher, Damon earned her second career All-Big 12 recognition and her first second team selection for her efforts as one of the Knights’ leading run-producers.
She surpassed her previous season bests in average (.336), on-base percentage (.433), slugging percentage (.678), runs scored (23), total hits (50), doubles (9), home runs (14), walks (15) and RBI (47), representing one of single-season program record five Knights this season to slug at least 10 home runs this spring.
Damon was UCF’s top hitter against ranked foes throughout the regular season, hitting a team-best .404/.431/.750 (21-for-52) with three doubles, five home runs, 12 RBI and 39 total bases against the nation’s best. The catcher throughout the season hit long balls against then-No. 10 LSU, then-No. 12 Oklahoma State twice, then-No. 3 Texas Tech and then-No. 23 Arizona State, highlighted by back-to-back games with a home run against the Cowgirls’ Ruby Meylan and a solo home run against reigning conference pitcher of the year NiJaree Canady.
Damon also represented as one of the best defensive catchers in the nation, as she enters postseason play with a Big 12 Conference-leading 15 runners caught stealing, just two shy of matching Cassady Brewer’s program record of 17.
Aubrey Evans – All-BIG 12 Second Team
UCF’s starting shortstop concluding her final season of collegiate eligibility, Evans earns an all-conference second team selection for the third time in her four years donning the Black and Gold.
Evans this season has bested her previous single-season slugging percentage with a .583 mark through 54 games, and has also set new single-season career bests in runs scored (54) and RBI (36) while matching her previous season highs in hits (55), home runs (10) and walks (26).
Overall, Evans finished the regular season with just seven strikeouts offensively, tied with Texas Tech’s Taylor Pannell for the fewest in the Big 12 Conference.
She has also represented among the most surehanded shortstops in the nation, boasting a .965 fielding percentage with an overall assist total of 123 that ranks second most in the Big 12 Conference and 25th in the nation.
Izzy Mertes – All-BIG 12 Second Team
An All-Big 12 Freshman Team pick a season ago, Mertes garners her second straight selection to an All-Big 12 team this spring, landing on the second team in 2026.
The outfielder this year is on pace to set new single-season career bests in average (.320), on-base percentage (.422), slugging percentage (.634), runs scored (44), total bases (97), home runs (11), RBI (52) and stolen bases (3).
With 15 doubles entering the conference tournament, Mertes needs just one to match her freshman season total of 16, and three more to match Aubrey Evans’ 2023 single-season program record of 18.
Samantha Rey – All-BIG 12 Second Team
A unanimous pick to the 2024 All-Big 12 Freshman Team, Rey makes her return to the Big 12’s post-season All-Conference teams this spring, landing on the league’s second team.
The junior infielder/outfielder has enjoyed a career season, setting new season highs in average (.396), on-base percentage (.471), slugging percentage (.485), triples (3) and RBI (15), and can also reach new season highs in total hits, runs scored, total bases, walks and stolen bases this spring.
Rey has represented one of the Knights’ most consistent hitters throughout the second half of the season, as her overall .396 average and .475 average in conference play both represented team-leading marks.
UPCOMING:
The Knights were eliminated in the First Round of the BIG 12 Conference, 6-5, by Kansas. The NCAA D1 Selection Show was Sunday evening and UCF surely made the Field of 64.
Go to _ UCFKnights.com and look for the link to the Softball Page to find out when and where the Knights will be opening play in the NCAA Regionals.
