By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following a top-five league finish and a return trip to the OVC Tournament, the Tennessee Tech soccer team has put the finishing touches on the 2019 campaign with the announcement of the club's team awards.
Juniors Isabelle Austin and Kendall Powell were recognized as the squad's co-MVPs, an honor voted on by the entire team, while fellow junior Katie Bain took home the Coaches Award, given to the student-athlete whom the coach feels contributed the to the team in areas of dedication, character, development, leadership and overall impact to the club.
"Congratulations goes out to all three players and I'm certainty happy to be able to recognize them for their accomplishments and roles they played throughout the 2019 season," head coach Steve Springthorpe said. "All three are leaders in one way or another within the program and are deserving of these honors. It's a major advantage that they will all be returning for another season and I'm excited for the continued impact that all three players will make for our team.
"I was not surprised to hear that both Kendall and Isabelle had the same amount of votes for MVP, and so the decision was made for them to share the honor," Springthorpe said, on Powell and Austin's co-recognition. "Both are important players on our team, each with different responsibilities that are significant to the success of the club. I am happy for both of them that our team selected them as our MVPs."
After putting together one of the better offensive seasons in the OVC, Powell landed a spot on the coveted All-OVC first team for the first time in her career. The Cookeville product finished tied for fourth in the conference with a team-leading seven goals, highlighted by six scores during conference action, tied for second most in the league.
Powell's seven net-finders in 2019 are tied for 10th most in a single season in program history, while the 5-foot-7 junior's 15 points put her in a tie for eighth in the OVC and her club-best 42 shots were good enough for ninth in the conference. With 18 career goals in her back pocket, Powell will enter her senior campaign tied for third most in program history in career scores.
"Kendall had another great year on the attacking side of the game," Springthorpe noted. "She is a leader within our program and a player that we rely on to score goals and give us an opportunity to win consistently. Kendall is a competitor whenever she touches the field, whether in practice or during games and it's clear she pushes other players on our team to a higher level."
Austin took over the reigns as Tech's starting goalkeeper, playing in each and every minute during the 2019 campaign. The Sylvania, Ohio native finished fifth in the OVC with 86 saves and ended in a tie for third in the league with three shutouts. Austin was also top 10 in the conference with a .729 save percentage a 1.58 goals against average.
Among the highlights during the year, the 5-foot-8 junior enjoyed back-to-back shutouts in wins over Murray State and Jacksonville State that led her to her first career OVC Goalkeeper of the Week accolade on Oct. 15. In fact, in a 3-0 victory over Murray, Austin collected then a career-high nine saves, including eight in the second half to blank the Racers.
"Isabelle is an important player for us, both on the field and in the locker room," Springthorpe said. "As a captain, she has responsibilities both in her play and in her relationship with her fellow teammates. I think Isabelle's leadership qualities had as much to do with her being voted MVP as her play between the pipes did."
After combining to play in just 11 matches in her first two seasons draped in purple and gold, Katie Bain appeared in a career-high 16 contest in 2019, providing the Golden Eagles with leadership on and off the pitch throughout the year. The Smyrna, Tenn. product also took the first two shots of her Tech tenure, including one on-goal for a .500 shot on-goal percentage.
"I am very proud of Katie. Her development as a player over the past couple of years has been tremendous," Springthorpe claimed. "She has improved in many areas, not just limited to the soccer side of the equation, but in her overall ability to lead and succeed. Furthermore, the changes Katie made in her game allowed her to enjoy more success on the field, as well as put her in a position to be a leader within our club going into the future. I look forward to seeing more of Katie's transformation this upcoming fall."
Photo by Thomas Corhern
