Rugg, LaBazzo Take MVP Honors; 22 More Named to EIAC Girls Soccer All-Conf. Team

Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 10:31 AM

By Travis Thayer @eagle993

Lawrenceburg's Bill Offutt is the Coach of the Year.

Preslee Rugg (left) and Aubree LaBazzo.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – Twenty-four high school soccer stars have earned All-Conference honors in the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference.

The EIAC released their Fall All-Conference Teams on Wednesday.

Highlighting the Girls Soccer All-Conference Team is six members from the state championship winning Lawrenceburg Tigers. Senior forward Preslee Rugg took Offensive MVP honors, while junior defender Aubree LaBazzo won Defensive MVP. They were joined on the All-Conference team by Hillary Knippenberg, Morgan Manford, Ava Merkel, and Kayli Mueller.

Rugg scored the match-winning penalty kick in the state championship game. She finished the season with 21 goals and 11 assists. LaBazzo, a Third-Team All-State selection in November, anchored a Tigers defense that surrendered only seven goals in 22 matches.

Hillary Knippenberg made 59 saves in 22 matches with 16 shut outs. Manford and Merkel added to the Tigers’ attack with 17 goals each.

After going undefeated in the conference and winning the state title, Lawrenceburg’s Bill Offutt is the EIAC Coach of the Year.

East Central made a run to the semi-state behind five All-Conference selections: Anna Black, Ava Leihgeber, Rylee Schloss, Maria Mayer, and Alyssa Brians.

Mayer was among the top offensive players in the state, scoring 32 goals and assisting on 21 more. Leihgeber added 11 goals and 14 assists, while Brians, a Morehead State commit, tallied eight goals and six assists.

Defensively, the Trojans were led by Second Team All-State selection and Eastern Illinois commit Rylee Schloss. She allowed only six goals with 17 clean sheets. Anna Black was a key defender playing in front of Schloss.

South Dearborn had three all-conference selections including Taytum Barker, who also made all-conference in football. Barker made 175 saves in 1,446 minutes. On the football field, she converted 17 of 20 extra point attempts and went 1-1 on field goal tries.

See the full 2024 EIAC Girls Soccer All-Conference Team below.

Lawrenceburg (7-0) – Preslee Rugg, Aubree LaBazzo, Hillary Knippenberg, Morgan Manford, Ava Merkel, Kayli Mueller

East Central (6-1) – Anna Black, Ava Leihgeber, Rylee Schloss, Maria Mayer, Alyssa Brians

Batesville (5-2) – Addie Reding, Emma Miller, Sydney Campbell, Nora Weideman

South Dearborn (4-3) – Taytum Barker, Jenna Hufford, Gabby Ward

Franklin County (3-4) – Anabelle Wiesmann, Madesyn Sunderhaus

Connersville (2-5) – Jayci Allen, Gwynn Higbie

Greensburg (1-6) – Genevieve Smith

Rushville (0-7) – Kyleigh Glandon