FRISCO, Texas — SFA's Ellie Vance and Southeastern's Hallie Burns have earned the season's first Jersey Mike's Southland Softball Player of the Week awards, the conference office announced Monday. Vance earns recognition for the first time while Burns gets the nod for the second time in her career. 

Softball Hitter of the Week: Ellie Vance, SFA – Jr. – 2B – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (Mount Douglas High School)
Vance returned for her senior season after leading the Jacks in hits 2025, carrying that success over into the start of 2026. She opened her campaign going 10 of 17 from the plate, hitting .588, with a .588 slugging percentage and a .611 on-base percentage. Vance is tied for the team lead with five RBIs and leads the team with two stolen bases. In the game against St. Bonaventure, she went 3-4 with three runs, two RBIs, and a stolen base.
Honorable mention: Maddie Taylor, McNeese | Victoria Altamirano, UIW

Softball Pitcher of the Week: Hallie Burns, Southeastern – R So. – RHP – Booneville, Miss. (Booneville High School)
Burns was brilliant in the circle at the season-opening NFCA Leadoff Classic, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.98 ERA, striking out 19 and holding opponents to a .122 batting average in 14.1 innings of work. In Sunday's 4-2 win over No. 5 Oregon, the highest-ranked opponent SLU has ever defeated, Burns scattered two hits and struck out five in 4.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win in the circle against the national power Ducks. In Friday's game versus South Alabama, she struck out seven and allowed one hit in 4.1 innings of shutout relief. She also struck out five in the season opener versus No. 13 Clemson and earned a win with 1.2 innings of perfect relief in a win over Boston College. 

2026 Southland Conference Softball Players of the Week

Date	Hitter	Pitcher
Feb. 9	Ellie Vance, SFA	Hallie, Southeastern

Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school's sports information director. Voting for one's own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.