ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Junior Sonya Harris (Riverdale, Ill./Thornton) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year announced by the league office Thursday. A two-time selection to the Valley's All-Defensive team, she joins former teammate Skye Johnson as the only players in program history to earn MVC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
A Second-Team All-MVC selection, Harris is second in the conference in rebounding at 10.0 boards per game and leads the Valley in blocked shots at 2.1 per contest. She averaged 2.2 blocks and 0.8 steals per game in Missouri Valley Conference play, while helping the Braves limit league foes to 61.7 points per game.
The honor marks the second time in three years a Bradley player earned MVC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Johnson was the first player to earn the award, earning the recognition as a sophomore in 2007-08. Harris was an MVC All-Defensive team selection for the second consecutive year, joining Johnson as the only two-time All-Defensive team honorees in program history.
"Sonya has such a big impact on the game," Bradley head coach Paula Buscher said. "She is a tough matchup for opponents in the paint and has a knack for being disruptive on the defensive end. I'm very proud she has earned this honor. Most people look at her blocks and steals, but it's her ability to change shots which probably has the biggest impact on other team's offenses."
Harris has collected 58 blocked shots this season which ranks as the third best season total in school history and 15th best mark among MVC totals. In addition her 279 rebounds is the third best season effort in school history and most since Carrie Coffman pulled down a school-record 302 boards in 1994-95.
The only player in school history with two seasons with 50 or more blocked shots, she has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in 16 of 28 games this season. Harris is eighth on the MVC career blocked shots list and second in school history with 171 rejections. She has also climbed into ninth on BU's career rebounding list with 663 boards.
Bradley is one of two teams to have a player named to the All-Defensive team each of the last three years and the Braves four All-Defensive honorees during that span is tied for the most in the league.
Harris was one of two non-seniors on the Valley's All-Defensive Team and one of two repeat selections. She was joined on the All-Defensive unit by the 2009 MVC Defensive Player of the Year Megan Neuvirth of Creighton, along with the Illinois State duo of Ashleen Bracey and Nicolle Lewis in addition to Missouri State's Casey Garrison.
Bradley opens play at the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Friday at 2:35 p.m. against Northern Iowa at the The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. The winner of the Braves quarterfinal matchup against the Panthers will advance to Saturday's 5:05 p.m. semifinal game. Fans attending the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament are encouraged to attend a sendoff for the women's basketball team Friday at 12:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet at 191 West Port Plaza in St. Louis.
