Milwaukee, Wis. - Coming off an undefeated season in conference play, the Illinois Tech women's soccer team received a team-record and conference-leading 12 all-conference selections, as well as receiving four separate major awards, as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) announced their 2025 Women's Soccer All-NACC awards. 

Receiving all-conference honors for the 2025 season were Gabriella Baltes, Kayla Smith, Kelly Hitchcock, Allison Murray, Grace Yager, Liliana Schuth, Leyna Yonehara, Hannah Ramos, Taylor Hernandez, Kayla Thomas, Tvesa Vathulya and Kayla Hampton. Baltes, Smith and Hitchcock received player of the year awards, and Head Coach Roshane Ellison and his coaching staff were named the coaching staff of the year.


Head Coach Roshane Ellison and his coaching staff were named the NACC Women's Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year. This is the third consecutive coach of the year award for Ellison. Ellison and his staff have led the team to a 19-1-1 record so far on the season, including going undefeated in conference play for the third consecutive season (12-0) as well going undefeated at home (12-0-1). The team has won three consecutive regular season conference titles, two consecutive conference postseason tournament titles, and appeared in their fifth consecutive conference tournament championship, the team's sixth conference championship match overall since entering the NACC in 2018. Over that same time period, Ellison's Hawks have gone 62-7-5 in regular season conference play. The Hawks will be making their second consecutive NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship appearance. The Scarlet Hawks have held their opponents to just 10 total goals on the season, including 16 shutouts. In NACC play, the Scarlet Hawks have only allowed 3 goals all season, including tournament games. The Scarlet Hawks have scored 93 goals on the season for a 4.43 goals per game average. The team also earned a record 12 all-conference player awards this season under the leadership of Ellison and his staff.


Gabriella Baltes was named NACC Women's Soccer Defender of the Year, and a First-Team All-Conference selection. For Baltes, this marked her third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year honor, and her fourth consecutive all-conference selection, including her third consecutive first-team selection. Baltes, a senior defender, captain and Biochemistry major from Plymouth, Minnesota, has been a force and the unquestioned leader of the Illinois Tech backline. During her 4-year career as a Scarlet Hawk, she has led a defense that has allowed only 59 goals over 92 games played, a 0.64 goals against average. More importantly, over that same time period the Hawks have only lost 1 regular season conference game, going 45-1-3, with the last loss occurring in September of 2022. Baltes is the team's Iron Woman, as she rarely comes off the pitch. In 89 games played throughout her career, she has played all 90+ minutes 54 times. She has logged 6,916 minutes during that stretch, with more minutes to go. She led the team once again in minutes played this season with 1,791 over 21 games. Offensively this season, Baltes has scored 6 goals, has taken 31 shots, with 16 on frame, for a .516 shots on goal percentage. She also has 2 game-winning goals on the season.


Kayla Smith was named NACC Women's Soccer Forward of the Year, and a First-Team All-Conference selection. This is Smith's third all-conference selection. Smith, a senior forward, captain and Aerospace Engineering major from Redmond, Washington, leads the NACC in goals (14), assists (12) and points (40). Smith also leads the conference with 2.00 points per game. In 20 games, Smith has 72 shots, 39 on frame for a .542 shots on goal percentage, in 1,374 minutes played. Smith also tied for the team lead, and tied for third in the conference, with 3 game-winning goals on the season.


Kelly Hitchcock was named NACC Women's Soccer Midfielder of the Year, and a First-Team All-Conference selection. Hitchcock has been an all-conference selection all four years of her playing career, and this is her second First-Team All-Conference honor. Hitchcock, a graduate student midfielder and Mechanical Engineering major from Scottsdale, Arizona, ranks 2nd in the NACC in goals (12) and points per game (1.81), and 3rd in total points (29). In 17 games, Hitchcock has 52 shots, with 28 on frame for a .538 shots on goal percentage, in 1,027 minutes played. Hitchcock also has 2 game-winning goals on the season.


Allison Murray was named an First-Team All-Conference selection. For Murray, the senior midfielder, captain and Architecture major from St. Louis, Missouri, this is her third consecutive all-conference selection, and her second First-Team honor. Murray has tallied 6 points on the season on 2 goals and 2 assists. She has 17 shots, 11 on frame, for a career-high .647 shots on goal percentage. She has one game-winning goal on the season. Murray has been a mainstay in the lineup her four years on the team, playing in 20 games so far this season with 1,290 minutes played.


Grace Yager was named a First-Team All-Conference selection. Yager, a first-year defender and Science major from Las Vegas, Nevada, is fifth on the team in scoring and first among defenders on the team and in the conference with 15 points, on the strength of 6 goals and 3 assists. In 19 games, Yager has fired 37 shots, with 18 on frame for a .486 shots on goal percentage. In 19 games played, Yager has logged 1,388 minutes, third highest on the team. Yager also has two game-winning goals on the season.


Liliana Schuth was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection. This was Schuth's first all-conference honor. Schuth, a sophomore defender and Business major from Las Vegas, Nevada, played herself into a starting role on the Scarlet Hawks' backline in her sophomore season. While only playing in 14 games this season before her season ended prematurely, she has still managed to rank 10th on the team in minutes played with 1.007, while playing 75 minutes or more in 8 of those 14 games.


Leyna Yonehara was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection. This was Yonehara's first all-conference honor. Yonehara, a sophomore defender/midfielder and Forensic Chemistry major from Geneva, Illinois, established career highs in points (2), shots (14), shots on goal (5), and shots on goal percentage (.357). Yonehara's versatility to slide between defender and midfielder roles allowed her to more than double her minutes played from last season's 672 to this season's 1,559, ranking 2nd on the team and 1 of only 3 players to start all 21 games so far this season for the Scarlet Hawks. 


Hannah Ramos was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection. For Ramos, this was her second consecutive all-conference honor. Ramos, a sophomore midfielder/forward and Biology major from Tucson, Arizona, established a career-high in minutes played with 1,318, ranking 5th on the team. She is also 1 of only 3 players to start in all 21 games so far this season. Over her two-year career, Ramos has not missed a game, playing in all 46 contests, starting in 35 of those. This season, Ramos has recorded 9 points on 4 goals and 1 assist, with 17 shots, 9 on frame, for a .529 shots on goal percentage. She has two game-winning goals on the season.


Taylor Hernandez was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection. Hernandez, a first-year forward and Aerospace Engineering major from San Clemente, California, leads all first-year players in the conference in scoring with 28 points on 10 goals and 8 assists, ranking 3rd on the Scarlet Hawks. Hernandez tied for the team lead, and tied for 3rd in the conference with 72 shots, with 32 on frame, for a .444 shots on goal percentage. Hernandez has played in 20 games, starting 8, while logging 905 minutes played. She has recorded two game-winning goals on the season, and tallied a team-high 10 points on 4 goals and 2 assists in the Scarlet Hawks' win at Rockford on October 29th.


Kayla Thomas was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection. For Thomas, this was her first all-conference honor. Thomas, a senior forward and Mechanical Engineering major from Helsingborg, Sweden, tied for 5th on the team in scoring with 15 points on the strength of 7 goals and 1 assist. Thomas also tied for the team lead in game-winning goals with 3. Thomas has tallied 28 shots so far this season, with 15 on frame, for a .536 shots on goal percentage. Thomas has played in 18 games this season, starting 11 of those, while logging 848 minutes.


Tvesa Vathulya was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection. Vathulya, a first-year forward and Psychological Science major from Saratoga, California, ranked 4th on the team in points with 18 on 6 goals and 6 assists. Vathulya has tallied 54 shots, with 29 on frame for a .537 shots on goal percentage. Vathulya has one game-winning goal on the season. She has played in 19 games, starting 17 of those, while logging 1,081 minutes.


Kayla Hampton was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection. Hampton, a junior goalkeeper and Architecture major from Duvall, Washington, leads the conference in goals against average at .532 goals per game. Hampton has played in 19 games, starting 18 of those, allowing only 7 goals. Hampton has 20 saves on the season for a .741 save percentage. Hampton has put together a 16-1-1 record with 4 shutouts, while logging 1,184 minutes in net.