LAKELAND, Fla. — Following a dominant regular season that culminated in a Sun Conference Regular Season Championship, Southeastern Women's Basketball claimed three of the conference's top individual honors as announced by the league office. Graduate forward
Grace Field was named Sun Conference Player of the Year, freshman forward
Sarah Davis earned Freshman of the Year honors, and head coach
Joshua Epperson was selected as Sun Conference Coach of the Year.
The trio of awards highlights the success of the program this season, as the Fire finished conference play with a 15-1 record and closed the regular season on an 11-game winning streak.
Grace Field — Sun Conference Player of the Year
Field becomes the eighth player in program history to be named Sun Conference Player of the Year and the first since Bekki Kalaydjiev earned the honor during the 2023-24 season. Earlier this week, Field was also named First Team All-Conference for the second consecutive year.
A consistent presence on both ends of the floor, Field averaged 15.0 points and a conference-best 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting an outstanding 58.9 percent from the field, ranking first in the conference. She also finished among league leaders in assists, steals, and total rebounds, showcasing her all-around impact throughout the season.
Field led the Sun Conference in total rebounds (261) and rebounds per game while ranking third in scoring and assists. Her efficiency and versatility helped anchor Southeastern's balanced attack throughout the year.
Among her top performances of the season, Field recorded a career-high 32 points against Coastal Georgia on Nov. 19 while shooting 13-for-14 from the field. She also posted multiple dominant rebounding efforts, including a 17-rebound performance against Warner, and matched a season high with eight assists in the regular season finale against Ave Maria.
Across 28 games, Field totaled 420 points, 261 rebounds, 107 assists, 71 steals, and 21 blocks, cementing her role as one of the most complete players in the conference.
Sarah Davis — Sun Conference Freshman of the Year
Davis becomes just the third player in Southeastern program history to earn Sun Conference Freshman of the Year honors, joining
Mya Herman, who last received the award during the 2023-24 season.
The Florence, Alabama native quickly emerged as one of the conference's top perimeter threats during her debut campaign. Davis finished third in the Sun Conference in three-point shooting percentage at 38.1 percent while ranking ninth with 40 made three-pointers.
A key contributor off the bench, Davis averaged 7.5 points per game while providing timely scoring throughout the season. Her breakout performance came against Missouri Baptist on Dec. 19 when she recorded season highs of 18 points and four three-pointers.
Davis consistently stretched opposing defenses and delivered efficient scoring performances during conference play, helping fuel Southeastern's league-best offensive efficiency from beyond the arc.
Joshua Epperson — Sun Conference Coach of the Year
In his leadership of the Fire, Epperson guided Southeastern to one of the strongest seasons in recent program history. SEU posted a 15-1 conference record — the program's best mark since the 2021-22 season — while securing the Sun Conference Regular Season Championship.
Under Epperson's direction, Southeastern developed into one of the nation's most efficient offensive teams, leading the entire NAIA in three-point field goal percentage during the regular season at 38.1 percent.
The Fire also closed the regular season with 11 consecutive victories, entering postseason play as one of the conference's hottest teams.
Epperson becomes the fourth different Southeastern head coach to earn Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors, marking the seventh time overall the award has gone to a Fire head coach. The last SEU recipient was Tim Hays following the 2020-21 season.
Together, the conference honors reflect Southeastern's collective success during the 2025-26 campaign and position the Fire for a strong postseason run as tournament play begins on Friday.
