BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Montevallo women's lacrosse's Ashley Shen and Anja Kuys have earned Gulf South Conference postseason honors, as announced by the league office, Thursday.
 
Senior Ashley Shen has been named the GSC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-GSC selection while Anja Kuys represents the Falcons on the All-GSC Second Team. Shen is the first person in Montevallo women's lacrosse program history to be named Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Year and additionally, is the first Falcon to earn any kind of postseason individual accolade aside from All-Conference.
 
Shen, a defender from Ontario, Canada, led the GSC with 47 caused turnovers this season – a program record – and averaged a league-leading 3.13 caused turnovers per game. During the 2023 season, Shen became Montevallo's all-time leader in caused turnovers with 107 over the last four years. Additionally, Shen led the league in ground balls with 55 and in ground balls per game at 3.67.

On Feb. 25, in a road win over UVA Wise, Shen set a program-record with seven caused turnovers in the game and added seven ground balls. After the performance, Shen was named the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association National Defensive Player of the Week.

This is the third All-Conference award for Shen during her career as she was named an All-GSC Second Team selection in 2021 and 2022. With her All-GSC First Team selection this year, Shen becomes just the third person all-time in GSC Women's Lacrosse to earn three All-GSC selections during their careers.

 

Kuys, a midfielder from Hamilton, New Zealand, finished second in the GSC in ground balls (54), ground balls per game (3.38), caused turnovers (33) and caused turnovers per game (2.06), behind Shen. In addition, Kuys was eighth in the league in draw controls with 59 and averaged a seventh-best 3.69 per game. The graduate student also scored 27 goals and dished out a team-high 11 assists on the year. The midfielder was named the GSC Player of the Week on Feb. 21 after scoring six goals, two assists, six draw controls, six ground balls and four caused turnovers on the week.
 
Kuys finished her career at UM as the program's all-time leader in ground balls (170) and draw controls (231). With her All-GSC Second Team selection this year, Kuys has now been named All-GSC twice during her career.


 
In the young history of women's lacrosse at Montevallo and in the Gulf South Conference, the Falcons have earned 12 All-Conference awards as a program, that ranks third across the league all-time.