Kennesaw State’s Chambers Tabbed A-Sun Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year

Release from Kennesaw State Athletics:

Junior Kara Chambers was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year along with Stetson’s Brittany Hawn, the league office announced on Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 21).

“We are very proud of Kara for receiving this very prestigious preseason honor,” said interim head coach Tory Acheson. “She is an amazing teammate and a great leader. She is very deserving and I am excited to see what she has in store for the 2015 season.”

Chambers, who earned A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year and A-Sun Second-Team All-Conference a season ago, was the defensive catalyst for the Kennesaw State softball team in 2014, seeing action in all 53 games and starting 52 contests at third base for the Owls.

The Kennesaw, Ga., native owned a .983 fielding percentage with 68 putouts and 110 assists, while only committing three errors this season. Her 110 assists also ranked tied for eighth in overall play.

In conference action, Chambers posted a 1.000 fielding percentage, to rank in a tie for first in the A-Sun, while also registering 33 putouts and 52 assists, with her 52 assists ranking ninth in the A-Sun.

The Owls were picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Softball Coaches Poll with 26 points, while USC Upstate earned the top position with 64 points, including all eight first-place votes. Lipscomb (55) and Stetson (45) rounded out the top-three in the poll.

The Spartans’ Shellie Robinson was named Preseason Player of the Year, while teammate Lexi Shubert was a unanimous selection as Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Chambers and the Owls, who return 11 players from last season’s 24-29 team, are set to open the 2015 campaign with the KSU Classic on February 6-8 at Bailey Park. KSU begins the tournament with a 12:30 p.m. ET game against Ohio on Friday, Feb. 6.