ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Drake University women's soccer team had four student-athletes earn Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete awards, the league office announced on Tuesday Nov. 13. Seniors Alyssa Brand (Skokie, Ill.) and Linda Fiorito, (Overland Park, Kan.) along with redshirt junior Vanessa Kavan (Lincoln, Neb.) were named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. Sophomore Olivia Bruce (Lakeville, Minn.) rounds out the group garnering MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention honors. Fiorito and Kavan both have perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point averages.

Brand, who missed most of the season due to injury, returned to the lineup at Loyola on Oct. 6. She made an immediate impact in league play with two game-winning goals and handed out one assist in just five matches. Brand earned All-MVC honors each of her four seasons at Drake and was named MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention in 2017. Brand owns a 3.71 GPA in Finance and Marketing.

Fiorito appeared in 19 matches with 18 starts and logged over 1500 minutes this season. She was named to the 2018 MVC All-Tournament team and was the MVC Elite 17 award winner which is given to the student-athlete with highest cumulative grade point average competing at the finals site at each of the MVC's 17 team championships. Fiorito was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team this season. She has a 4.00 GPA in Marketing and was named to the MVC Scholar Athlete team in 2017 and the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team in 2016.

Kavan returned to the field after playing in just three matches last season due to injury. She earned a spot on the All-MVC Second Team, scoring one goal, registering two assists and playing in all 19 matches. She logged 1665 minutes, which was good for fourth on the team. Kavan owns a 4.00 GPA in Marketing.

Bruce is one of only four sophomores to earn a spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete teams with a 3.63 GPA in Magazine Media and News. She lead the team with six goals this season, including two in the MVC Tournament Championship match against Loyola. She was also named to the MVC All-Tournament team.