RICHMOND, Va. -- After punctuating one of the finest seasons in program history, eight members of the Christopher Newport field hockey team hauled in All-State accolades, while three Captains secured top individual honors from the Virginia Sports Information Directors as Courtney Hughlett was named the Player of the Year, Lily Kerr was hailed as the Defensive Player of the Year, and Carrie Moura was celebrated as the commonwealth's Coach of the Year.

Recognized as the top player in Virginia, Hughlett became the eighth Captain to receive the state's highest honor. In that club, she joined CNU Hall of Famers Jacque Mayer (2007) and Belle Tunstall (2013) as well as longtime legends Ashley Traylor (2006), Bailey Lien (2016), Courtnie Greene (2017), Brittan Muir (2018), and Abby Asuncion (2021-23).

Meanwhile, Kerr added to Christopher Newport's run of defensive domination. The Captains have boasted the state's Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past four seasons as Kerr added her name alongside two-time honoree Brooke Billhimer (2022 and 2024) and former standout Alexis Morales (2023).

Rounding out the top individual award-winners, Moura received her seventh Coach of the Year award. She was previously honored in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2018.

Along with Hughlett and Kerr, Caroline Hughlett, Lindsey Loar, and Kelly Via were also first-team All-State selections, while Emily Evans, Kendall Gibson, and Avery Mast garnered second-team citations.

With her award, Kerr joined Asuncion and Lien as the only four-time first-team All-State picks in program history. Additionally, Caroline Hughlett was honored for the third straight season, while Gibson, Mast, and Courtney Hughlett hauled in their second straight award. The other three Captains were recognized for the first time.

Overall, the eight honorees equaled the second-most in program history, trailing only the nine award-winners in 2013.

A unanimous first-team All-American, Courtney Hughlett pieced together a remarkable junior campaign. Honored as the NFHCA Region VI Player of the Year, she ranked fifth in the NCAA and established a new program record with 15 assists. Along with her work as a facilitator, she posted a career-high six goals while finishing with 27 total points.

Coming through in clutch situations, Hughlett assisted on seven game-winning goals during the year, including the overtime clincher against No. 17 Lynchburg in the NCAA Tournament on November 15. She also set up the winning blow in top-25 tilts against No. 10 Stevens on September 28 and No. 11 Williams on October 12, while she erupted for a pair of goals during a triumph over No. 5 Johns Hopkins on August 31.

Along with her offensive heroics, Hughlett was named the Synapse Sports National Defensive Player of the Year after leading the team with 10 blocked shots, including six as a centerpiece on the penalty corner unit. Her final rejection of the season came in a 1-0 win over No. 3 Salisbury in the Elite Eight on November 16, which helped her earn a place on the NCAA All-Tournament Team.

Solidifying her spot as the most decorated goalie in program history, Kerr was celebrated as an NFHCA and Synapse Sports first-team All-American for her work in the fall. Suffocating the competition, she compiled a microscopic 0.37 goals-against-average, which led the NCAA and was the 13th-best mark in Division III history.

Rewriting the record books, Kerr set a new program standard with nine shutouts, while her .870 save percentage placed her third on the national charts. Starting all 20 games, she did not allow a single goal in 15 of her appearances, including six straight outings from September 7-27. Among her efforts, she notched a season-high six saves against Messiah on September 20 before adding four additional stops in the shootout session to ice a 1-0 victory.

Overall, Kerr had multiple saves in 11 of her appearances, including six battles against nationally-ranked competition. Aided by her work during the year, she concluded her career with a 0.58 goals-against-average, which was the 13th-best mark in the history of collegiate field hockey. Meanwhile, her .889 winning percentage placed her eighth on the all-time Division III charts.

A lethal force on the offensive end, Evans capped off her career with an award-winning senior campaign. Starting all 20 games, she ranked second on the squad with 10 goals while finishing with 22 total points. She contributed at least one point in nine of her appearances and bagged the game-winning goal in three straight contests from September 7-13. Later, in the postseason, the All-Region performer opened the scoring during a 2-1 win over No. 17 Lynchburg on November 15, which kicked off the squad's run to the Final Four.

Helping anchor the back line, Gibson started all 20 games and saw 1,128 minutes of action on the defensive unit. During her junior campaign, she posted a pair of defensive saves after turning away on-target attempts during 1-0 victories over Washington and Lee on September 7 and Messiah on September 20. She also blocked six additional shots during the year, including two clutch fourth-quarter stops during a triumph against No. 5 Johns Hopkins on August 31 and a third-quarter block in the Final Four against No. 6 Tufts on November 21.

Celebrated as a first-team NFHCA All-American, Caroline Hughlett registered 23 points, including seven goals. She also handed out a career-high nine assists, which marked the 13th-most in school history and placed her 38th on the national leaderboard. Among her highlights, she scored three game-winning tallies, including the final strike with 0.1 seconds left on the clock in a double-overtime thriller against No. 3 Salisbury on October 8. Equally impressive in the classroom, she was also named the NFHCA National Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

An electrifying presence on the offensive end, Loar was recognized as a third-team All-American after depositing 14 goals, which ranked 49th in the NCAA and marked the eighth-most in school history. She also landed five game-winners, which equaled the third-highest total by a Captain. Dominant throughout the year, she had a point in 11 games, including hat-tricks against Rhodes on October 5 and No. 14 Rowan on October 25. Later, she earned NCAA All-Tournament nods after scoring the overtime winner against No. 17 Lynchburg on November 15.

A stabilizing force on both ends of the turf, Mast helped anchor the midfield unit while earning first-team All-Region plaudits. On the offensive side, she pitched in with 14 points, including eight assists. Remarkably, eight of her points came against top-25 teams, including the game-winning goal against No. 11 Williams on October 12 and a three-point showcase against No. 5 Johns Hopkins on August 31. Meanwhile, on the back end, she had a defensive save and five blocked shots, including a rejection in the marathon win against No. 3 Salisbury on October 8.

Seeing her first collegiate action during her second year in Newport News, Via quickly established herself as one of the top all-around talents in the country. An All-Region honoree, she served as a centerpiece on the defensive unit, which led the NCAA in scoring defense with a 0.39 goals-against-average. On an individual level, she blocked three shots, including two in the Elite Eight win over No. 5 Salisbury on November 16. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, she also chipped in with nine points, including three game-winning goals. 

At the helm of the Captains, Moura guided Christopher Newport to a 19-1 record while reaching the Final Four for the second time in program history. Along the way, the Captains were ranked first in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll for seven consecutive weeks before wrapping up the year as the unanimous top team in the country in the organization's final poll on November 11. Astonishingly, CNU led the NCAA with a .950 winning percentage and .696 strength-of-schedule, becoming the first team from any level of the NCAA to lead the country in both categories since 2019.
 

Individual Award Winners
Coach of the Year:	Carrie Moura	Christopher Newport
Player of the Year:	Courtney Hughlett	Christopher Newport
Defensive Player of the Year:	Lily Kerr	Christopher Newport
Rookie of the Year:	Reagan Flory	Shenandoah
First Team
Forward:	Anna Dorrestijn	Lynchburg
Forward:	Lindsey Loar	Christopher Newport
Forward:	Madeline Lancione	Washington and Lee
Forward:	Reagan Flory	Shenandoah
Midfield:	Courtney Hughlett	Christopher Newport
Midfield:	Khanyisile Mzizi	Lynchburg
Midfield:	Caroline Hughlett	Christopher Newport
Midfield:	Mackenzie Proffitt	Mary Washington
Defense:	Camryn DeLeva	Shenandoah
Defense:	Kelly Via	Christopher Newport
Defense:	Jade Buckles	Bridgewater
Defense:	Katie Royle	Mary Washington
Goalkeeper:	Lily Kerr	Christopher Newport
Second Team
Forward:	Danielle Coon	Lynchburg
Forward:	Grayson Scott	Mary Washington
Forward:	Sydney Baggett	Washington and Lee
Forward:	Emily Evans	Christopher Newport
Midfield:	Allie Freeman	Lynchburg
Midfield:	Claudia Lenahan	Shenandoah
Midfield:	Margaret Scheurer	Washington and Lee
Midfield:	Avery Mast	Christopher Newport
Defense:	Madison Short	Shenandoah
Defense:	Olivia Muir	Lynchburg
Defense:	Kendall Gibson	Christopher Newport
Defense:	Caroline Porter	Mary Washington
Goalkeeper:	Valentina Ambrogi-Torres	Randolph-Macon

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