The Emory University softball program had one of their best seasons in the past 10 years seeing their first trip back to the postseason since the 2019 season. The Eagles were led this season by head coach India Chiles in her second season in Atlanta.
 
Emory finished the season with a 33-14 record, the first 30-win season since 2019, and finished third in the UAA with an 11-7 record. The Eagles opened the season at the Emory Classic going 4-0 defeating LaGrange and Maryville (TN) before improving to 6-0 with midweek wins against Buena Vista University.
 
The Eagles then hosted two ranked teams, No. 17 Pfeiffer and No. 25 St. John Fisher for the Eagles Elite Invitational where they went 2-2 to place their name on the NFCA Top-25 rankings. Emory then traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Division III Ulili Softball Invitational where they went 6-0 to take a 14-2 record into conference play.
 
Conference play got off to a strong start with back-to-back series sweeps against Brandeis and Carnegie Mellon before Emory played host to No. 15 Case Western Reserve. The Eagles won the first game of the series but the Spartans took game two and three. Emory finished the season with a 6-7 record before tuning into the NCAA Selection Show on May 12 where they found out they would be heading to Montgomery, Alabama for the Huntingdon Regional.
 
In the first game of the regional, the Eagles downed the Transylvania Pioneers before dropping the first game of the tournament to the Huntingdon Hawks. In the elimination game, Emory defeated Berry College to advance to the regional finals. The Hawks and Eagles faced off again in the regional final with Emory taking back-to-back games to advance to the Super Regionals in Redlands, California. Emory fell in two games to the Bulldogs bringing their season to an end.
 
While each athlete made an impact on the team, four Eagles truly stood out helping Emory back to the postseason for the first time since 2019.
 
Junior Ashley Chu has become one of the most dominant and consistent players on the Emory roster during her career and came back this season to do the same. She quickly established herself on the base paths leading the team with 42 stolen bases in 43 attempts this season helping her to a .472 on base percentage. Chu also boasted a .438 batting average across 47 games this year totaling 74 hits in 169 at bats. She played a major role in Emory earning a trip back to the NCAA super regionals earning Montgomery Regional All-Tournament team honors batting .411 with four stolen bases in five games.
 
Sophomore Ellie Zerr became a dominant force during her second season in the Blue and Gold quickly adding her name to the Tucci/NFCA Player of the Year Watchlist. She earned her second consecutive All-UAA first team recognition and rightfully so as she paced the team with a .599 slugging percentage and. She also finished in a tie for first on the team with 44 RBI including seven in game three against Carnegie Mellon (Mar. 30). Along with teammate Ella Hoyle, Zerr notched four homers during conference play and three doubles helping her to a .347 batting average in the DH spot.
 
Junior Mackenzie Duford has become one of the most influential pitchers in Emory softball history in her junior season and earned her first All-UAA selection this season and was named the UAA Pitcher of the Year. She made 29 appearances and 20 starts while throwing a team-leading 123.2 innings of work this season. She boasted a 4-3 record in the UAA and a 14-7 overall record while allowing just 39 earned runs and throwing 84 strikeouts. She has also thrown three shutouts this season including a no hitter against NYU, the 17th in program history. Because of her control and dominance in the circle, Duford holds a 2.21 ERA ranking first on the team this year.
 
Despite battling an injury at the beginning of the season, sophomore Grace Cooper returned to the field as one of the most influential team members. She competed in 40 games while drawing the starting assignment in 35 games and finished fourth on the team with a .356 batting average notching 36 hits in 101 at bats. Cooper was also efficient at getting the ball in play only striking out six times and drawing seven walks. She recorded 19 runs and 17 RBI during the year helping her to a .396 on base percentage and a .475 slugging percentage.
 

National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region
Ashley Chu	First Team	Cumming, GA (South Forsyth)
Ellie Zerr	Second Team	San Diego, CA (University City HS)
Mackenzie Duford	Third Team	Seminole, FL (Seminole)
Grace Cooper	Third Team	Belding, MI (Belding High School)

 

Tucci/NFCA DIII National Player of the Year Watchlist
Ellie Zerr	San Diego, CA (University City High School)

 

CSC Academic All-America
Ashley Chu	Third Team	Cumming, GA (South Forsyth)

 

Montgomery Regional All-Tournament Team
Mackenzie Duford	Seminole, FL (Seminole)
Addison Kwong	Denver, CO (Northfield High School)
Shivani Nangia	Los Altos, CA (Mountain View High School)
Ashley Chu	Cumming, GA (South Forsyth)

 

UAA Pitcher of the Year

Mackenzie Duford

 

All-University Athletic Association
Mackenzie Duford	First Team	Seminole, FL (Seminole)
Ashley Chu	First Team	Cumming, GA (South Forsyth)
Ella Hoyle	First Team	Tualatin, OR (Lakeridge)
Ellie Zerr	First Team	San Diego, CA (University City High School)
Grace Cooper	Second Team	Belding, MI (Belding High School)

 

UAA Athletes of the Week
Ellie Zerr	Feb. 24, Mar. 31
Ashley Chu	Mar. 24, May 19
Mackenzie Duford	Apr. 28, May 19