The Kalamazoo College women's soccer team had three student-athletes collect All-MIAA honors on Tuesday (Oct. 31). Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci becomes the third Hornet to be named the MIAA Senior Sportswoman of the Year, along with Libby Munoz (2019) and Hannah Wolfe (2020), since the award started in 2019. Olivia DePauli and Ruby Hogan were selected to the All-MIAA Second Team for their efforts on the pitch.
Kalamazoo finished the 2023 regular season with an 8-6-3 (5-2-1 MIAA) record and was the third seed in the MIAA Tournament. The Hornets went 3-3-2 in non-conference play with wins over Concordia, North Park, and UW-Oshkosh before entering conference play. Four of the six season shutouts came during MIAA play as Kalamazoo gained victories over Alma, Olivet, Trine, Saint Mary's, and Adrian.
Midfielder Rajendra-Nicolucci is a biology major, a four-year starter for the Hornets, and boasts a grade-point average of 3.74. As president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Rajendra-Nicolucci initiated the Compete for Cause games for all Kalamazoo teams this year. Kalamazoo's SAAC has donated thousands of dollars to the YWCA, West Michigan Cancer Center, and Loaves and Fishes through Compete for a Cause already this fall. Rajendra-Nicolucci also coordinated a local elementary Trunk Or Treat and worked with the Kalamazoo area's Special Olympics through SAAC. Additionally, she has volunteered for the First Tee Golf Organization for two years, volunteering 1.5 hours each week in the spring to teach golf lessons to fifth and sixth graders. Rajendra-Nicolucci is also president of the Health Professions Society at Kalamazoo. Previously, Rajendra-Nicolucci was SAAC Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as a sophomore and Vice President as a junior. She is also a teaching assistant in the Biology department and is a member of and has choreographed for K-Desi, a group that represents South Asian cultures. Rajendra-Nicolucci was awarded CSC Academic All-District in her junior year, is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma student-athlete honor society, and has been named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll each year. On the field, Rajendra-Nicolucci started all 17 games for the women's soccer team this season as a defensive midfielder, finishing with an assist and 18 shots. She helped the defense allow just 1.35 goals per game, and the Hornets allowed more than two goals only twice. For her career, Rajendra-Nicolucci made 55 appearances with 54 starts, with three goals and two assists for eight points.
DePauli returned from studying abroad last season to start 16 of the 17 games in the back line for the Hornets, helping the defense limit opponent's scoring to 1.35 goals per game. She also helped out on the offensive end by scoring four goals on corner kicks, as four of the five shots on goal ended up in the back of the net. Two of the four goals came in the 5-0 win over Olivet, DePauli's first multi-goal game of her career. The senior has played in 36 career games, with 35 starts, scoring four goals and collecting an assist for nine points. DePauli was an All-MIAA First Team selection in the 2020 season and is a three-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll member.
In her first season of collegiate soccer, Hogan started all 17 games in the back line for Kalamazoo and was a vital part of the team's corner piece sets. Hogan was the primary corner kick specialist when on her side of the field, and she collected three assists on the set pieces. Those assists were tied with three other Hornets to lead the team.