Carbondale Reporter

Emily Williams, a member of the Southern Illinois University softball team, was named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Newcomer of the Week for the fourth time in 2025. The league made the announcement on Monday.

Williams, a sophomore, has now received this award for two consecutive weeks. She was also recognized as the MVC Player of the Week in the previous week.

In a series against the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Williams excelled by going 4-for-8 with three home runs, seven RBIs, four runs, and five walks over three games. In the first game, she hit two home runs, driving in three runs and scoring twice. In the following game, Williams hit another home run, went 2-for-2, and had four RBIs, two runs, and three walks.

Williams is currently leading the conference with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs this season.

Southern Illinois is scheduled to play four games at home this week. They will face UT Martin on Wednesday at 4 p.m., followed by a series against Murray State at the weekend. The first game will be on Friday at 5 p.m., while Saturday's game will be at 2 p.m. on Senior Day. The series will conclude with the 'Bark in the Park' game on Sunday at 12 p.m.

For more information and updates on the Salukis, fans can follow the team on Twitter at @SIU_Softball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball, and on Instagram at @SIU_Softball. The "Salukis" Mobile App is also available for download on the App Store or Google Play Store.