EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer had two Screaming Eagles receive Ohio Valley Conference postseason honors on Wednesday. The league’s head coaches and communication directors voted upon the postseason accolades.
It was announced that junior defender Charli Grafton and junior midfielder Emerson Grafton were recognized by the conference for their performances in 2024. Both Graftons were named to the All-OVC Second Team, and Emerson was also selected to the OVC All-Newcomer Team.
Anchoring the defensive unit, Charli Grafton earned All-OVC Second Team honors for the second consecutive season. Primarily as the right centerback, Grafton led a Southern Indiana backline that dealt with injury-related adversity during the season, resulting in multiple player combinations. The junior’s consistency helped USI to earn four shutouts in the regular season, including three in the final four matches of OVC play. One of the Eagles’ captains, Grafton once again started every match during the 2024 regular season. Grafton totaled 1,590 minutes in the regular season, playing all 90 minutes in 16 matches and 13 consecutive outings to conclude the regular season. The centerback also scored once in USI’s home victory against the University of Tennessee at Martin. Grafton was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week in mid-September.
Emerson Grafton had a breakthrough campaign in her first season with the Screaming Eagles. The former transfer paced Southern Indiana with three goals, six assists, 12 points, and 14 shots on goal this season. Grafton was second on the squad with 24 shots. In OVC play, Grafton scored twice and notched a team-best four assists toward a team-high eight points while topping the team with 18 shots and 10 shots on target. The junior appeared in all 18 matches during the regular season, making 13 starts. Grafton finished the regular season ranked second in the OVC in assists, both overall and in league play, and top 10 in conference play in points. The midfielder had an assist and placed all four of her shots on goal in USI’s road win at Morehead State University and concluded the regular season with a goal and an assist in USI’s home win against Western Illinois University.
Southern Indiana concluded the 2024 regular season with a top-four seed and a berth into the Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Following its first-round bye on Thursday, USI will host its quarterfinal match Sunday at 1 p.m. from Strassweg Field. When the Eagles will face either UT Martin or Morehead State.
All games of the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. Additional coverage for USI can be found on usiscreamingeagles.com with full tournament coverage on the OVC website at ovcsports.com.
