Southland Conference

FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin’s Stephanie Visscher is the Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Wednesday. In addition to her individual honor, Visscher was also named one of 10 student-athletes selected to the league’s academic all-conference rosters. Southland Student-Athlete of the Year awards are presented by GEICO.

Visscher completed a monumental junior campaign for the Ladyjacks, tying a bow on the season with a trip to the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament after earning first team all-conference honors and sweeping through the Southland Tournament. She cemented herself as one of the nation’s most efficient players, averaging 60.3 percent from the field, 53.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc and 92.6 percent from the free throw line in conference play. Throughout the junior season, Visscher was a key ingredient in the Ladyjacks’ chemistry and pushed the team to a 24-3 overall record and a perfect 14-0 run in conference play with 14.3 points per game. Visscher closed out the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the SFA’s overtime thriller against Georgia Tech in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. While she has proven her aptitude on the floor, she has also excelled in the classroom as an international business major. Visscher currently holds a 4.0 grade-point average and was most recently named the President’s List for the SFA College of Business for the fall of 2020.

Of the eight schools represented on the Southland Academic All-Conference teams, Abilene Christian and Houston Baptist led the way with two honorees each. There were four automatic selections to the first-team roster, including Visscher, Central Arkansas’ Lucy Ibeh, Lamar’s Micaela Wilson and Sam Houston’s Amber Leggett. Visscher, Leggett and ACU’s Anna McLeod are the lone repeat selections and are making their second appearances on the Southland academic roster.

Student-Athlete of the Year is voted on by the Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 13 member universities. Southland Student-Athlete of the Year nominees shall have earned at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale and demonstrated athletics achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.

Southland First Team All-Conference athletes who meet all-academic nomination criteria are automatically named First Team All-Academic selections.

2020-21 Southland Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year: Stephanie Visscher, Stephen F. Austin