Completed Event: Softball versus Georgia on May 18, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 5 , (F/8)
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Final
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Malau’ulu Named ACC Defensive Player of the Year; Five Earn All-ACC Honors
5/7/2025 10:02:00 AM | Softball
DURHAM, N.C. – Graduate student Thessa Malau'ulu highlighted Duke's all-conference selections as she was named the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon.
Additionally, four other Blue Devils earned All-ACC honors in graduate student Dani Drogemuller, senior Ana Gold and juniors Aminah Vega and D'Auna Jennings. Vega earned a spot on the first team while Drogemuller, Gold, Jennings and Malau'ulu each picked up second team nods.
Malau'ulu joined the Blue Devils following her four-year career at UCLA and has made an immediate impact on the program in her final season. The Long Beach, Calif., native was named one of three captains for the 2025 campaign and has continued to lead the team both on and off the field. She has recorded a team-best four triples on the year and sits second in batting average (.368) and runs scored (54). Malau'ulu is one of just three players to start all 52 games of the regular season, seeing action at third base. She has played a crucial role on the Blue Devils' defense and owns a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while playing the hot corner in conference games. Malau'ulu is the second consecutive Blue Devil to receive the league's top defensive honors as Vega was the recipient in 2024.
Vega, a native of DeBary Fla., has powered the Blue Devil offense through 52 games of the regular season, leading the team in batting average (.445), hits (77), doubles (17) and total bases (129). She is one of just three players to have started all 52 games this season, primarily at second base. Her 77 hits and 17 doubles on the year rank fifth and 14th nationally, respectively. She was recently named a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and became the first Blue Devil to earn First Team All-ACC honors in three straight seasons.
Drogemuller stepped into a new role in her second season with the team, leading the Blue Devils' pitching staff with 144.2 innings in her 33 appearances. She owns a team-best 3.15 ERA and a 16-7 ledger on the year. The Frankfort, Ill., native dominated the circle during the final week of the season, tossing 25.1 of 26.0 innings, including three complete games. She finished 3-1 in her four appearances during the late-season stretch, allowing 16 earned runs off 24 hits with 17 strikeouts. Drogemuller held her opponents to a .242 batting average in 2025. The graduate student earned All-ACC honors for the first time in her career.
A native of Ballston Spa, N.Y., Gold has played a key part in the Blue Devils' success on offense during her four seasons. She has seen action in 225 games, earning 223 starts, and owns a .311 career batting average. In her final season, Gold has tallied career highs in hits (58), runs scored (55) and stolen bases (19). She is one of just three players to start all 52 games of the regular season and leads the team in stolen bases and home runs (13). Her 19 stolen bases on the year ranks second in the ACC and is just six shy of the single-season program record. Gold picked up all-conference honors for the third time in her career after being named to the third team in 2022 and the first team in 2023.
In her third season with the team, Jennings has been a consistent part of the Blue Devils' offense. She is one of four hitting above .350 with a .366 batting average at the end of the regular season, which sits third on the team overall. She sits behind Gold in stolen bases with 12 on the year. The lefty slapper also holds the program's single-season records in batting average (.462) and hits (80). She garnered All-ACC honors for the second time in her Blue Devil career after earning first team honors in 2023.
As the No. 4 seed, Duke is set to open play in the 2025 ACC Softball Championship in the quarterfinals Thursday. The Blue Devils will meet the winner of No. 5 seed Stanford and No. 12 seed Pitt with first pitch slated for 1:30 p.m. at the Harrington Athletics Village in Brighton, Mass.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils softball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeSOFTBALL"
#GoDuke
Additionally, four other Blue Devils earned All-ACC honors in graduate student Dani Drogemuller, senior Ana Gold and juniors Aminah Vega and D'Auna Jennings. Vega earned a spot on the first team while Drogemuller, Gold, Jennings and Malau'ulu each picked up second team nods.
Malau'ulu joined the Blue Devils following her four-year career at UCLA and has made an immediate impact on the program in her final season. The Long Beach, Calif., native was named one of three captains for the 2025 campaign and has continued to lead the team both on and off the field. She has recorded a team-best four triples on the year and sits second in batting average (.368) and runs scored (54). Malau'ulu is one of just three players to start all 52 games of the regular season, seeing action at third base. She has played a crucial role on the Blue Devils' defense and owns a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while playing the hot corner in conference games. Malau'ulu is the second consecutive Blue Devil to receive the league's top defensive honors as Vega was the recipient in 2024.
Vega, a native of DeBary Fla., has powered the Blue Devil offense through 52 games of the regular season, leading the team in batting average (.445), hits (77), doubles (17) and total bases (129). She is one of just three players to have started all 52 games this season, primarily at second base. Her 77 hits and 17 doubles on the year rank fifth and 14th nationally, respectively. She was recently named a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and became the first Blue Devil to earn First Team All-ACC honors in three straight seasons.
Drogemuller stepped into a new role in her second season with the team, leading the Blue Devils' pitching staff with 144.2 innings in her 33 appearances. She owns a team-best 3.15 ERA and a 16-7 ledger on the year. The Frankfort, Ill., native dominated the circle during the final week of the season, tossing 25.1 of 26.0 innings, including three complete games. She finished 3-1 in her four appearances during the late-season stretch, allowing 16 earned runs off 24 hits with 17 strikeouts. Drogemuller held her opponents to a .242 batting average in 2025. The graduate student earned All-ACC honors for the first time in her career.
A native of Ballston Spa, N.Y., Gold has played a key part in the Blue Devils' success on offense during her four seasons. She has seen action in 225 games, earning 223 starts, and owns a .311 career batting average. In her final season, Gold has tallied career highs in hits (58), runs scored (55) and stolen bases (19). She is one of just three players to start all 52 games of the regular season and leads the team in stolen bases and home runs (13). Her 19 stolen bases on the year ranks second in the ACC and is just six shy of the single-season program record. Gold picked up all-conference honors for the third time in her career after being named to the third team in 2022 and the first team in 2023.
In her third season with the team, Jennings has been a consistent part of the Blue Devils' offense. She is one of four hitting above .350 with a .366 batting average at the end of the regular season, which sits third on the team overall. She sits behind Gold in stolen bases with 12 on the year. The lefty slapper also holds the program's single-season records in batting average (.462) and hits (80). She garnered All-ACC honors for the second time in her Blue Devil career after earning first team honors in 2023.
As the No. 4 seed, Duke is set to open play in the 2025 ACC Softball Championship in the quarterfinals Thursday. The Blue Devils will meet the winner of No. 5 seed Stanford and No. 12 seed Pitt with first pitch slated for 1:30 p.m. at the Harrington Athletics Village in Brighton, Mass.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils softball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeSOFTBALL"
#GoDuke
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