Indiana State guards Kiley Bess and Ella Sawyer have been named to the 2024 MVC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Teams, with Bess earning First Team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors and Sawyer securing Second Team MVC Scholar-Athlete selection. Bess, a senior guard from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, leads the Sycamores with a 4.0 GPA and in various statistical categories on the court, including points, minutes, rebounds, assists, and steals. Sawyer, a fifth-year guard from Adelaide, Australia, maintains a 3.982 GPA and contributed significantly to the team's performance, especially in assists, rebounds, points, steals, and blocks. Both players have achieved remarkable milestones and are the first in several years to receive such recognition for Indiana State. The selection of the MVC Scholar-Athlete teams was based on strict academic and athletic criteria and recognized the accomplishments of 22 student-athletes in total.

By the Numbers
  • Bess maintains a 4.0 GPA as a pre-physical therapy major
  • Sawyer holds a 3.982 GPA as an education major with a concentration in middle school math teaching
  • Indiana State has had 19 First Team MVC Scholar-Athlete selections, 11 Second Team MVC Scholar-Athlete selections, and eight Honorable Mention MVC Scholar-Athlete selections in program history
  • Both Bess and Sawyer have excelled in various statistical categories on the court, including points, minutes, rebounds, assists, and steals
State of Play
  • Kiley Bess led the Sycamores with 11.1 points and 32.5 minutes per game this season
  • Ella Sawyer led Indiana State with 3.3 assists per game and was third on the team with 4.4 rebounds per game
Bottom Line

Bess and Sawyer's recognition as MVC Scholar-Athletes highlights their exceptional academic and athletic achievements, underscoring their dual commitment to excellence on and off the court.