Hilltoppers' Donzella is NFCA All-American
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – West Liberty University senior catcher Kat Donzella made history on Tuesday when she was named to the 2021 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II All-America Team. A third-team selection in the nationwide balloting, Donzella is the first Lady Hilltopper ever to earn All-America honors.
Tuesday’s honor was merely the latest in a growing list of post-season awards for the former Wheeling Park High School all-stater. Donzella had been voted Mountain East Conference Player of the Year after leading Coach Herb Minch’s Hilltoppers to their second consecutive MEC title and was also named to the NFCA and D2CCA All-Atlantic Region teams.
Donzella put together one of the best seasons in West Liberty softball history in leading WLU to its second straight NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament berth. The 2021 MEC Tournament MVP was a major offensive force at the plate, where she led the conference in hits, runs, doubles, home runs, total bases, batting average, slugging percentage and on-base average. The speedy Donzella also made things happen on the basepaths, ranking among the top base-stealing threats in the region with 23 swipes – including a clutch steal of home to turn the tide in the MEC Tournament finals.
Donzella ranked No. 2 nationally with 77 hits and her 134 total bases checked in at No. 4 among all NCAA D2 players but the rest of her final numbers were almost off the charts, as well: a .458 batting average with a .798 slugging percentage and .518 on-base average. She pounded out 19 doubles and slugged 12 home runs while scoring 49 runs and driving in 37 more. An elite receiver behind the plate, she led the MEC with 12 caught stealing and ranked among the national leaders in fielding percentage (.996) with just 2 errors in 512 total chances.
The Hilltopper catcher was one of 54 players from 43 teams to earn NCAA Division II All-America honors from the NFCA this spring and the only one hailing from a Mountain East Conference school. Shippensburg first baseman Hannah Marsteller and Millersville catcher Faith Willenbrock were first-team All-Americans from the Atlantic Region. Shepherd third baseman Nicole Purtell was a second-team pick while Kutztown first baseman Jenna Lipowski joined Donzella as a third-team selection.
The 2021 NCAA Division II World Series gets under way in Denver, Colo. this week. Atlantic Region champion West Chester (Pa.) is the No. 7 seed and will take on No. 2 seed St. Anselm (N.H.) Thursday at 6 p.m.
SOFTBALL
NCAA Division II
2021 NFCA All-America Team
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Player School
P Morgan Perry Saint Anselm
P Mackenzie Ward MSU-Mankato
P Kenzee Smith Indianapolis
C Shanna McBroom West Texas A&M
1B Hannah Marsteller Shippensburg
2B Sydni Hawkins Missouri Western
3B Alyssa Herrera Georgian Court
SS Nicole Pennington Valdosta State
OF Lauren Wedman Colorado Mesa
OF Kendall Cornick Augustana
OF Ruby Salzman West Texas A&M
UT/P Hannah Rose Corbin Columbus State
Util Lauryn Henderson Academy of Art
C *Faith Willenbrock Millersville
1B *Tatum Brummitt UNC Pembroke
P *Kylee Smith North Georgia
UT/P *Ellie Smith Colorado Mesa
C *Bailey Byers Malone
*-denotes at-large selection
SECOND TEAM
Pos. Player School
P Ashley Mickschl Augustana
P Abbey Busby Palm Beach Atlantic
P Ally Muller Adelphi
C Ashley Perez UT-Tyler
1B Mahina Sauer Southern Nazarene
2B Sam Catron Hillsdale
3B Nicole Purtell Shepherd
SS Margaret Simmons North Georgia
OF Rajene Bowe Dominican
OF Shelby Robb Metro State-Denver
OF Allie Miller Auburn-Montgomery
UT/P Sidney Booth Northwest Nazarene
Util Kylee Leonhardt Lenoir-Rhyne
Util *Izzy Starr Humboldt State
P *Kali Crandall Oklahoma Christian
P *Callie Nunes Concordia-Irvine
SS *Tatum Dow Western Washington
OF *Taylor Shingler Maryville
*-denotes at-large selection
THIRD TEAM
Pos. Player School
P Ali Shenefield Rollins
P Payton Foster UT-Tyler
P Hannah Beatus Grand Valley State
C KAT DONZELLA WEST LIBERTY
1B Molly Cobb Auburn-Montgomery
2B Kiley Robb Valdosta State
3B Teala Howard West Florida
SS MaKray Odom Trevecca Nazarene
OF Mary Pardo Augustana
OF Courtney Barnhill Angelo State
OF Caitlyn Canady Columbus State
UT/P Ava Fitzmaurice New Haven
Util Torri Chute Augustana
P Andrea Morales Rogers State
1B Jenna Lipowski Kutztown
3B *Kaitlyn Weis NW Missouri State
OF Gabrielle Simms University of the Sciences
UT/P Morgan Hill Valdosta State
*-denotes at-large selection