Kendra Falby Named Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

Florida star Kendra Falby has been named a top 10 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award on Wednesday.

Falby adds to a long list of honors received in four years at the University of Florida. These include a three-time All-SEC selection, a Rawlings Gold Glove and two SEC All-Defensive team selections, but this is her first time being a finalist for this prestigious award.

https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1918781932478849124

Kendra Falby has been a human highlight reel all season for the Gators, leading the team with a .439 batting average, 82 hits, and 35 stolen bases. She also ranks second in Gator softball history for total hits (329) and stolen bases (117).

This is the third year in a row that the Gators have had a player in the top 10, Korbe Otis in 2024 and Skylar Wallace in 2023. Falby could be the Gators third winner of the award, following Kelly Barnhill in 2017 and Lauren Haeger in 2015.

https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1901051561435971781

Falby committed zero errors this season and reached base in all but two of the Gators’ regular season games. She also had a total of 27 multi-hit games, having four hits on Feb. 23 against Iowa State and on April 11 against Ole Miss.

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The top 3 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced May 19.

Falby hopes to improve upon her previous NCAA Tournament performance, only having 6 hits and one RBI, losing to Oklahoma in the semifinal round.

Florida is the third overall seed in this year’s tournament and will host the Gainesville Regional May 16 -18. Falby and the Gators play against the Mercer Bears (38-24) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.