NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) announced the 2026 softball honorees on Monday, and five Christopher Newport University standouts were among the recognized players. Of those five,
Candace Slaw earned first team All-State plaudits while the remaining four --
Caroline Alger,
Natalie Quinlan,
Brooke Zuber, and
Alexah Gordon -- were second team selections.
It marks the 27th consecutive year that Christopher Newport has featured multiple All-State selections. Slaw hauls in her third consecutive first team All-State certificate while the second team quartet are each being recognized for the first time.
Slaw earned second team NFCA All-American honors after leading the team in her third year with a team-high .461 batting average. She ranked 20th in Division III with 71 total hits while also serving as one of the nation's elite stolen base threats with 35 thefts to rank 34th nationally. Over the course of her career, Slaw ranks 11th among active players in career batting average (.484) and also ranks 13th among all three NCAA divisions.
The CNU outfielder climbed to within six career hits shy of the all-time record at Christopher Newport after closing her third year with 217 career base hits. She also scored a team-high 47 runs and has scored 154 all-time, ranking seven shy of the all-time mark at CNU. After starting all 43 games, Slaw registered at least one base hit in 36 and collected first team All-Region plaudits for the third year in a row.
Flanking her in the outfield was second team All-State pick
Alexah Gordon with a breakout sophomore season. Gordon earned third team All-Region plaudits and was the only Captain that represented a bigger base-stealing threat than Slaw, ripping off 39 bases to rank in the top-25 nationally. Gordon was one of just 23 qualified players in Division III to not be caught stealing during the season. She ranked second on the team with a .419 batting average and scored 35 runs in 39 games played.
Captains catcher
Natalie Quinlan received her first All-State selection after being named third team All-Region and first team All-Conference in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) this year. Quinlan hit .306 with nine home runs and 35 runs batted in, and also posted seven doubles and scored 17 runs. The junior hit two home runs in the season-opening victory at Methodist, and drove in four runs twice during the yea. She recorded a season-high three hits in the second game of a twin bill vs. Salisbury at Captains Park on May 3rd.
Brooke Zuber, who primarily played first base for Christopher Newport this season, also garnered her first All-State accolade. Zuber was first team All-Conference in the C2C and was named to the All-Regional team at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, following the NCAA Regional. Zuber led the Captains with 12 home runs and 46 runs batted in, and logged a season batting average of .373. She also contributed eight doubles and scored 20 times, and reached base a team-high 34 times on walks.
Rounding out Christopher Newport's All-State honorees is pitcher
Caroline Alger, who also received her first All-State award. Alger was a first team All-Conference selection in the C2C and.was named the C2C's Pitcher of the Week five times, including the last four weeks of the season. Despite missing two months of the season due to injury, she recorded eight wins with just one loss and posted an earned run average of 2.02. Alger appeared in 12 games in the circle, starting seven times and completing seven games for Head Coach Keith Parr's squad. She struck out 42 batters in 59 innings of work while walking just 21, and logged two shutouts and also earned three saves while holding opponents to a batting average of just .205.
The complete list of All-State softball honorees:
| Individual Award Winners |
| Coach of the Year: |
Brandon Elliott |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Player of the Year: |
Morgan Tucker |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Pitcher of the Year: |
Hannah Hearl |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Rookie of the Year: |
Sierra Kegley |
Randolph-Macon |
|
|
|
| First Team |
| Pitcher: |
Hannah Hearl |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Pitcher: |
Emma Adams |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Pitcher: |
Sierra Kegley |
Randolph-Macon |
| Catcher: |
Hannah Booth |
Emory & Henry |
| First Base: |
Kaylee Atkins |
Marymount |
| Second Base: |
Samantha Deitsch |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Third Base: |
Emily Angel |
Mary Washington |
| Shortstop: |
Carson Bradsher |
Averett |
| Outfield: |
Morgan Tucker |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Outfield: |
Candace Slaw |
Christopher Newport |
| Outfield: |
Gracie Himmelman |
Marymount |
| Designated Player: |
Taylor McQueen |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Utility (Non-Pitcher): |
Laci Campbell |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Utility (Pitcher): |
Cadence Rieg |
Shenandoah |
|
|
|
| Second Team |
| Pitcher: |
Evelyn Rhoads |
Bridgewater |
| Pitcher: |
Mackenzie Cauthorn |
Bridgewater |
| Pitcher: |
Caroline Alger |
Christopher Newport |
| Catcher: |
Natalie Quinlan |
Christopher Newport |
| First Base: |
Brooke Zuber |
Christopher Newport |
| Second Base: |
Caroline Malandra |
Bridgewater |
| Third Base: |
McKenzie Newcomb |
Averett |
| Shortstop: |
Sarah Watts |
Lynchburg |
| Outfield: |
Alexah Gordon |
Christopher Newport |
| Outfield: |
Sarah Prosser |
Virginia Wesleyan |
| Outfield: |
Heather McQueeney |
Roanoke |
| Designated Player: |
Berkeley Whitten |
Southern Virginia |
| Utility (Non-Pitcher): |
Sophia Badell |
Southern Virginia |
| Utility (Pitcher): |
Elisia Gonzalez-Pettis |
Virginia Union |
