RedStorm women dominate All-RSC team

Rio Grande/RSC Sports Information
     OXFORD, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande, powered by an undefeated record in conference play, led all schools with five overall selections to the 2026 River States Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams.
     The teams were announced by league officials on Thursday.
     The RedStorm were the only team in the league to earn three First Team selections in senior forward Marlee Grinstead (Albany, OH), freshman guard Allie Ellyson (Glenville, WV) and senior guard Marina Garcia Perez (Leon, Spain).
     Rio was also represented on the Second Team by junior forward Sophia Kline (Sugar Grove, OH) and on the Third Team by sophomore guard Payton Johnson (Peebles, OH).
     As spelled out in River States Conference by-laws, 10 players are voted to the first, second, and third teams. The teams are selected via a vote of conference head coaches.
     Individual awards will be announced by the conference office on Friday.
     Three other schools followed the RedStorm with four total selections - Brescia University, Indiana University Southeast and Midway University.
     Brescia joined Rio Grande with multiple First Team picks in Cassidy Morris and Caroline Lucas.
     Eleven of the 12 River States Conference schools placed at least one player on the three All-Conference teams, with nine schools earning multiple selections.
     Grinstead ranks third in the RSC in free throw percentage (85.7%), fourth in scoring (17.3 ppg) and steals (2.3 spg) and fifth in assists (3.7 apg).
     Ellyson is 12th in the league in scoring (14.1 ppg), while Garcia Perez tops the league in assists (9.7 apg) and is tied for fourth in steals (2.3 spg).
     Kline, who averages 11.8 points per game, leads the conference in rebounding (9.7 rpg) and ranks second in field goal percentage (62.8%).
     Johnson, who is scoring 11.9 points per game, is fourth in the RSC in 3-Point field goal percentage (37.3%).
     In addition to Grinstead, Ellyson, Garcia Perez, Morris and Lucas, the All-RSC First Team included Miyoshi Ellis of Shawnee State; Indiana University East's Taylor Farris; A'Lyrica Hughes from Midway; IU Southeast's Jesse Ledgerwood; and Cadence Stewart of WVU-Tech.
     Along with Kline, the Second Team was comprised of Mia Catey of IU Kokomo; Midway's Morgan Cross; Abby Fleetwood from IU Columbus; WVU-Tech's Alexis Sexton; Grace Stapleton and Linzie Wernert from IU Southeast; Brescia's Brooklyn Stewart; IU East's Peyton Wells; and Laken Williams of Shawnee State.
     Joining Johnson on the Third Team was TK Catchings of Shawnee State; Midway's Jacie Chesser and Alexys Moore; Amaya Collins from IU Columbus; Jenna Krampe from Brescia; Allyson Rideout of Oakland City; IU Southeast's Morgan Roberts; Kentucky Christian's Bell Sparks; and Mackenzie York from IU Kokomo.
     Additionally, the RSC also announced the athletes recognized as their program's Champion of Character. Each team in each RSC-sponsored sport is asked to nominate one athlete as their Champion of Character. The student-athletes best represent the NAIA's Champions of Character program and its five core values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship.
     Rio Grande's representative on the list was sophomore forward Josie Graves (Barboursville, WV).
     The 2026 River States Conference Championship continues Saturday with a pair of semifinal contests. Rio Grande will entertain IU Southeast at 2 p.m., with Brescia hosting Shawnee State at 4 p.m.
     The tournament title game will be played Tuesday night at the home gym of the highest remaining divisional seed.