University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Four Golden Eagles Awarded Softball All-Sun Belt Honors
5/5/2026 2:00:00 PM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Four members of the Southern Miss softball team earned All-Sun Belt honors Tuesday, headlined by first-team selection Hannah Christian and second-team catcher Kayce Bennett.
Sophomore Christian earned All-Sun Belt First Team, with redshirt sophomore Bennett earning All-Sun Belt Second Team. Kayla Giardina and Nealy McManus were named to the All-Sun Belt Honorable Mentions list. These awards mark the fourth straight year the Golden Eagles have placed a player on an All-Sun Belt team.
"I am so happy for our athletes who made the all-conference team," said head coach Natalie Poole. "Hannah has been a steady force in our lineup and has been clutch all season. 20 multi-hit games is impressive. Bennett set a tone behind the plate, throwing out such a high percentage of runners. Kayla had proven to be a winner in the circle, giving us a chance to get many of the wins we have. Nealy is amazing at shortstop. She has won us games on both sides of the ball. These athletes have been clutch all year and I'm proud that they are getting recognized for their hard work and achievements."
Hannah Christian | OF | All-Sun Belt First Team
Christian recorded 73 hits, ranking sixth in program history for most hits in a single season, including 11 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. She also ranks 10th in program history for single-season RBIs with 43 and 10th in the conference with 38 runs. The sophomore collected her second All-Sun Belt First Team in just as many years.
Christian batted .386, fifth in the Sun Belt, totaling 20 multi-hit games and is tied for sixth with 14 stolen bases on 17 attempts. In the field, she ranks one of four players in the Sun Belt with a perfect fielding percentage through 56 starts. The sophomore recorded 91 putouts and one assist on 92 chances, and one double play. The Hoover, Alabama, native won Player of the Week honors in week seven, getting a nod from the conference coaches earlier in the season.
Kayce Bennett | C | All-Sun Belt Second Team
Kayce Bennett appeared in 50 games and started 48 of them, where she is tied for the Sun Belt lead with 13 runners caught stealing, allowing a stolen base on just .435 of attempts. The standout redshirt sophomore only allowed four passed balls all year, had 148 chances while recording 121 putouts, and was good for the eighth highest fielding percentage in the conference with .993 from only 1 error, helping lead the Golden Eagles to a .976 fielding percentage on the season, ranking 15th in the nation. Offensively, Bennett has been a consistent force at the dish with a .767 OPS, racking up 20 RBIs, nine doubles, and five home runs.
Nealy McManus | SS | All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention
McManus started all 56 games at shortstop and committed only three errors all season. She recorded 124 assists, ranking sixth in the Sun Belt, to go along with 81 putouts on 208 chances. The redshirt junior's .986 fielding percentage and participation in six double plays helped anchor a Golden Eagle defense that finished with a .976 fielding percentage on the year.
Offensively, McManus hit .306 and was second on the team with a .443 on-base percentage. Her 37 hits included 12 doubles, a triple, and her first career home run, which came against Ole Miss. She showed high-level discipline and utility at the plate, drawing 31 walks while contributing 22 RBIs, four sacrifice flies, and four sacrifice bunts. She was also a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.
Kayla Giardina | P | All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention
Kayla Giardina has proven to be the ace of the Golden Eagles, throwing the fourth perfect game in program history and concluding the regular season with a 17-9 record, tied for seventh in program history for most wins in a single season.
The right-hander logged the seventh-lowest ERA of the Sun Belt at 2.53, threw 13 complete games, tied for ninth in program history for most shutouts at five, and recorded two saves on the year. Giardina had the fifth-lowest number of walks in the conference with 26. Giardina's perfect game was enough to secure the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week award in week 12.
Below is the list of recipients for the respective awards. The Sun Belt Championship Tournament is up next, with the Golden Eagles playing South Alabama, May 6 at 7 p.m. For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), X (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Postseason Awards
Player of the Year: Sydni Burko, Marshall (So., 3B - Ona, W.Va.)
Pitcher of the Year: Maddy Azua, Texas State (Jr., LHP - Round Rock, Texas)
Newcomer of the Year: Sydni Burko, Marshall (So., 3B - Ona, W.Va.)
Freshman of the Year: Haley Hart, Louisiana (Fr., 2B - Spanish Fort, Ala.)
Coach of the Year: Molly Fichtner, ULM
All-Sun Belt First Team
P Madison Azua, Texas State
P Ryley Harrison, South Alabama
P Ashanti McDade, ULM
C Kennedy Marceaux, Louisiana
1B Aiyana Coleman, Texas State
1B Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina
2B Morgan Brown, ULM
2B Makayla McClain, App State
3B Sydni Burko, Marshall
SS Kendra Lewis, James Madison
OF Hannah Christian, Southern Miss
OF Emma Davis, Georgia Southern
OF Keely Williams, Texas State
DP Payton List, James Madison
DP Kaelin Cash, Coastal Carolina
All-Sun Belt Second Team
P Jules King, Marshall
P Makayla Stephens, Georgia State
C Kayce Bennett, Southern Miss
1B Cali Legzdin, James Madison
2B Haley Hart, Louisiana
3B Delaney Keith, Coastal Carolina
3B Brooke Otto, Louisiana
SS Grace Barrett, App State
SS Mia Liscano, Louisiana
OF Ava Blake, Marshall
OF Meagan Brown, ULM
OF Megan Loftis, Troy
OF Harley Vestal, Texas State
OF McKenzie Walker, Georgia State
DP Ella Cunningham, Troy
All-Sun Belt Honorable Mentions
P Kayla Giardina, Southern Miss
P Abby Lovell, Troy
P Skylar Waggoner, ULM
C Valerie Combs, Georgia Southern
1B Mia Tidmore, Troy
2B Kayla Christensen, Georgia Southern
SS Makaley Boswell, Troy
SS Brie Normandin, Coastal Carolina
SS Nealy McManus, Southern Miss
OF Kylee Gleason, James Madison
OF Diamond Leslie, Marshall
OF Presley Lively, South Alabama
OF McKennah Metzger, Coastal Carolina
DP Chloe Hatcher, Georgia State
DP Tia Titi, Marshall
