Bradley University Athletics

Honors & Awards

• MVC Good Neighbor Award Winner (Spring 2011)
• Bradley AD Honor Roll all eight semesters

2011 Season (Senior): Earned the MVC's Good Neighbor award ... After appearing in a combined 51 games her first three seasons due to injury, she started 46 of the 48 games she appeared in during the 2011 campaign ... Split time between first and third base ... Tied for second on the team in walks with 13 and tied for fourth on the squad with 16 runs ... Hit her first home run since her freshman year against 19th-ranked Texas A&M during the opening weekend of the season ... Tied for sixth on the roster with 12 RBI ... Was second on the team in putouts and her career-best 58 assists was third on the team.

2010 Season (Junior): Missed time early in the season due to an injury, appearing in her first game on March 31 ... Returned to the lineup to start five games (three at first base and two at designated player) ... Drove in a run in her first plate appearance, drawing a bases loaded walk against Loyola ... Collected her only hit of the season at Missouri State, doing 1-for-3 ... Was used as a pinch runner against Indiana State and scored a run.

2009 Season (Sophomore): Saw limited playing time because of an injury ... Appeared in 21 games, with 12 starts behind the plate ... Hit .125 with two runs scored in 32 at bats ... Collected hits in her first two starts of the season ... Went-1-for-3 with one run scored and an RBI against Arkansas ... Started 12 of the first 37 games of the season, before her injury ... Made just one appearance (as a pinch runner) in the final 17 games of the year.

2008 Season (Freshman): Started 15 games behind the plate and appeared in 19 games ... Boasted a .991 fielding percentage ... Had a six-game hit streak, going 6-for-13 with one double and one homer ... Reached base in nine of 10 games midway through the season ... Belted her first career home run in Bradley's 7-5 win at Wichita State.

High School: A two-time first-team all-conference pick ... Earned first-team all-region honors as a senior after hitting .434 and driving in 26 runs ... Had eight doubles and a .511 on base percentage as a senior ... Earned honorable mention All-Metro honors following her junior and senior seasons ... Named a US ARMY National Scholar Athlete.

Personal: The daughter of Greg and Jean Jilka, Denise was born in Highland Park, Ill. ... The youngest of two children, she has one sister, Lindsay ... Majoring in psychology ... Named to the Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll all eight semesters.