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Softball

Four Norse earn #HLSB All-Academic Honors

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Northern Kentucky University Norse softball saw four seniors earn Horizon League All-Academic honors, announced by the league on Thursday. NKU's Brielle DiMemmo, Alicia Flores, and Jena Rhoads were all named to the All-Academic team, while Victoria Flores was named an honorable mention. 

"Our program is beyond proud of Alicia, Brielle, Jena, and Victoria," said Norse head coach Morgan Gerak. "This team takes great pride in academic achievement, and their commitment to academics sets the standard in our program for what it looks like to compete at an elite level on the field and in the classroom."

Alicia Flores earned All-Academic honors for the third time in her career, also being named to the All-Academic Team in the 2023 & 2025 seasons. Flores has thrown 65 innings with an 8-6 record and a 5.49 ERA this season, and ranks inside the top ten in the Horizon in innings, strikeouts, complete games, shutouts, and batting average against. In the classroom, Flores is a five-time President's Honors List recipient, while being named to the dean's list three times. Currently earning her MBA, Flores graduated with a bachelor's in Biological Sciences last spring at Northern Kentucky. 

Jena Rhoads earned back-to-back All-Academic honors, as she was also tabbed to the 2025 team. NKU's starting center fielder, Rhoads has been a top hitter on the 2026 Norse, sporting a .338 batting average and an .834 OPS with 26 runs scored, 16 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. A nursing major, she's set to graduate this spring with six President's Honor's List selections and a dean's list selection. 

Brielle DiMemmo earned the first Horizon League All-Academic nod of her college career, as she's starred as Northern Kentucky's starting first baseman. Posting a career-best season at the plate, DiMemmo has been the best hitter on the Norse by OPS, where her mark of .943 leads all NKU batters. DiMemmo also leads the Norse in triples (five), home runs (six), RBI (29), total bases (77), and slugging percentage (.588). Set to graduate this spring with a bachelor's degree in General Business, DiMemmo has been named to the dean's list and the Horizon League honor roll on multiple occasions. 

Outfielder Victoria Flores has broken through in a starting role in her senior campaign, providing a reliable glove in left field with a .972 fielding percentage and a consistent force on the basepaths, going 8-9 on stolen bases this season with ten runs scored. Flores has posted career-highs in hits, RBI, batting average, stolen bases, and RBI in her senior campaign. Her honorable mention to the All-Academic team marks her first career Horizon League honor. Like her sister, Alicia, Victoria is currently earning her MBA and  graduated with a bachelor's in Biological Sciences last spring.

Northern Kentucky wraps up the regular season this weekend in Indianapolis, before next week's Horizon League Championship in Youngstown. 

View the full 2026 Valeo #HLSB All-Academic Team below. 

2026 Valeo #HLSB All-Academic Team
Claire Borg, Detroit Mercy
Jada Davis, Detroit Mercy
Sidney LaMotte, Green Bay
Jenna Redders, Green Bay
Callie Dickerson, IU Indy
Molly Kable, IU Indy
Paige McPhearson, IU Indy
Brielle DiMemmo, Northern Kentucky
Alicia Flores, Northern Kentucky
Jena Rhoads, Northern Kentucky
Alyssa Balcom, Oakland
Maggie Murphy, Oakland
Mary Brant, RMU
Madelyn Coleman, RMU
Courtney Poulich, RMU
Kennedy Dean, Youngstown State
Lydia Wilkerson, Youngstown State
 
Honorable Mentions
Brooke Schwall, Green Bay
Victoria Flores, Northern Kentucky
Brooklyn Plitz, Oakland
Kaitlyn Molitoris, RMU

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Players Mentioned

Brielle DiMemmo

#15 Brielle DiMemmo

UTL
5' 6"
Senior
R/R
Alicia Flores

#9 Alicia Flores

P
5' 8"
Graduate Student
R/R
Victoria Flores

#32 Victoria Flores

OF
5' 6"
Graduate Student
R/R
Jena Rhoads

#1 Jena Rhoads

OF
5' 6"
Senior
L/L

Players Mentioned

Brielle DiMemmo

#15 Brielle DiMemmo

5' 6"
Senior
R/R
UTL
Alicia Flores

#9 Alicia Flores

5' 8"
Graduate Student
R/R
P
Victoria Flores

#32 Victoria Flores

5' 6"
Graduate Student
R/R
OF
Jena Rhoads

#1 Jena Rhoads

5' 6"
Senior
L/L
OF