Complete NFCA All-America Release

Information courtesy of GVSU & PNW Athletic Communications

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fifty-three student-athletes from 44 different institutions have been chosen to one of three 2018 NFCA Division II All-American teams, the Association announced at the NCAA Division II Championship banquet on Wednesday evening at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Roanoke, Va.

Two standouts from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) achieved All-America status: Grand Valley State pitcher Allison Lipovsky and Purdue Northwest first baseman Kyleigh Payne.

2018 GLIAC Pitcher of the Year, Lipovsky finished her season with a 22-5 record and a 0.81 ERA. In her 191.0 innings pitched, she struck out 309 batters and walked just 28 while holding opposing lineups to a .139 batting average. In her 30 appearances in the circle, she made 27 starts, threw 27 complete games, and tallied 14 solo shutouts while combining for one more. The Harrison, Mich. native led the entire NCAA DII field with 11.3 strikeouts per seven innings, while her total strikeouts and shutouts ranked second in the nation. She also ranked third in strikeout to walk ratio (11.04) and hits allowed per seven innings (3.37), while ranking fourth in ERA. 

Payne, the 2018 GLIAC Player of the Year, wasted no time establishing herself as an offensive force at the NCAA Division II level.  She helped the Pride to a fourth-place finish in the league regular season standings in Purdue Northwest's first year as a member of the GLIAC. Payne started all 52 games for PNW at first base this season.

At the end of the regular season, Payne boasted the GLIAC's top batting average (.440) and also led the league in hits (62), triples (9), on-base percentage (.549) and slugging percentage (.851).  She also ranked second in the conference in home runs (10) and third overall in RBI (39).