VALDOSTA, Ga.- Valdosta State softball junior Abby Sulte was named D2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) South Region Player of the Year, while seniors Aniston Gano (1B) and Morgan Hill (OF) earned D2CCA Second Team honors.
 
Click here for the D2CCA All-South Region Softball Teams. Sulte will move onto the national ballot for All-America consideration for both the Player of the Year and outfield.
 
Sulte had a spectacular season for the Valdosta State softball team, blasting a Gulf South Conference record-breaking 29 home runs for second all-time in Division II in a single season. In 54 starts in left field, she batted .365 with 57 hits in 156 plate appearances. The St. Petersburg, Fla. native led the team in runs with 71 while racking up 64 RBI on two doubles and a nation-leading 29 home runs. She slugged a team-best .936 percent while getting on base at a .528 rate. For her first class 2024 campaign, she racked up multiple awards including Gulf South Conference Co-Player of the Year as well as first team All-GSC honors. She was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First team for the south region.
 
Gano has put together an incredible 2024 season, coming off a season-ending injury in 2023. In 54 starts at first base, the Lakeland, Ga. native hit for .326 with 57 hits on 175 plate appearances. She tallied 34 runs with five doubles, one triple and 22 home runs for a team-best 70 RBI on the year. She slugged .743 on the season and got on base at a .403 rate. Defensively, Gano has tallied 339 putouts, 13 assists and just five errors for a .986 fielding percentage while she has helped turn 13 double plays. For her immaculate season, she was named Second Team All-GSC as well as named to the GSC Championship All-Tournament Team. She also earned Second Team All-Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).
 
Hill has played an incredible final season as a Blazer, starting in all 54 games in the outfield. The Lake Park, Ga. native hit for .341 on the year with a team-high 61 hits in 179 plate appearances. She tallied 58 runs on the season with a team-best 15 doubles, one triple and 15 home runs for 41 RBI. She has also snagged a team-best 17 stolen bases and is slugging .687 percent while getting on base at a .439 rate. Defensively, Hill has tallied 89 putouts with five assists and just one error for a .989 fielding percentage while also helping turn one double play. She was named to the All-Gulf South Conference Second Team this season.