The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) unveiled its all-conference teams on Tuesday morning, with three student-athletes from UIS women's soccer earning recognition. Junior Katelynn Ward was named to the All-GLVC First Team, while seniors Brooke Biffar and Allison Mirimanian received Third Team honors. This marks the third consecutive season UIS has had three All-GLVC selections.
Katelynn Ward | Junior | Wonder Lake, Ill.
Katelynn Ward earned her first career All-GLVC honors as a junior, following a standout season for UIS women's soccer. She scored all seven of her goals in conference play, making nine starts and averaging 44 minutes per game. Her 14 points this season tie her for 10th in the UIS women's soccer record book for single-season points. Notably, she ranks third in the UIS women's soccer record book with four game-winning goals in a season, clinching victories against Truman State, Missouri S&T, Upper Iowa, and Lewis.
Brooke Biffar | Senior | Hecker, Ill.
Brooke Biffar earned her first career All-GLVC honors after an impressive senior season. As a defender, she recorded seven assists, six of which came in conference play, with several of these assists stemming from her precise corner kicks that were key to the Prairie Stars' scoring efforts. Biffar started all 18 games, logging 1,202 minutes and averaging 67 minutes per game. She ranks second in the UIS women's soccer record book for single-season assists and is tied for fourth in career assists with nine.
Biffar was also the team's GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Honoree. Each institution names one honoree per sport each year, making them a candidate for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award. At the end of the academic year, one male and one female student-athlete are selected as the institution's award winners.
Allison Mirimanian | Senior | Silvis, Ill.
Starting goalkeeper Allison Mirimanian earned GLVC Third Team honors after a standout season anchoring the Prairie Stars' defense. Mirimanian recorded 8 wins and 6 shutouts, making 68 saves with a .773 save percentage. She extended her own UIS women's soccer record to 25 career shutouts, having entered the season with 19. Her contributions were crucial in shutouts against William Jewell, Truman State, Missouri S&T, UIndy, Upper Iowa, and Lewis, and she closed the regular season with three consecutive shutouts. Mirimanian earned GLVC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season, bringing her career total to four—the most achieved by any UIS defensive player.
The UIS women's soccer season concluded over the weekend with a 3-1 loss to McKendree in the GLVC Quarterfinal. In their first season under head coach Scott Myers, the Prairie Stars achieved a program record of eight conference wins and earned their third consecutive berth in the GLVC Tournament.