SEGUIN, Texas -- No. 5 Texas Lutheran Softball (35-4, 27-2 SCAC) senior catcher Taylor Vannett (Kingwood/Kingwood) was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Hitter of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. It's Vannett's first career weekly conference honor.

Vannett is one of six Texas Lutheran players to garner SCAC weekly honors this season, joining Caelee Clark (2x SCAC Hitter of the Week), Serena Gonzalez (Hitter of the Week), Katelyn Howard (4x SCAC Pitcher of the Week), Jordyn Joy (Pitcher of the Week), and Harleigh Russell (Hitter of the Week).

The Kingwood, Texas, product had a standout three-game series against Dallas to lead Texas Lutheran to a sweep to close the regular season. In three starts, Vannett hit .833 with team-highs in slugging percentage (1.500), on-base percentage (.778), and OPS (2.278) to go along with two doubles, a triple, ten RBI, one run scored and a walk. Vannett started behind the plate for the Bulldogs in the opening and closing contests against the Crusaders, finishing with ten putouts and an assist.

Vannett had a career day on Saturday, with a career-high six RBI, becoming the 12th Bulldog in program history to drive in six or more runs in the series finale.

Following the ten RBI weekend, Vannett brought her season total to 59, trailing teammate Serena Gonzalez's single-season record of 61 by two entering postseason play. Vannett has had a career year in 2026. Through 39 games, Vannett is slashing .459/.473/.697 with 50 hits, 59 RBI, three home runs, 15 doubles, 29 runs scored, nine walks, while striking out just seven times. Vannett has solidified herself as one of the best catchers in the country in her first season as the Bulldogs full-time catcher with a .992 fielding percentage and throwing out seven base runners this season. Vannett upped her game in conference play, slashing .511/.514/.795 across 29 games. Vannett's .511 batting average during SCAC play is the highest in the conference. Vannett leads the country in sacrifice flies (10) and is fourth in Division-III in RBIs.

Up next, Texas Lutheran will open postseason play at the SCAC Softball Championship Tournament at Edwards Field on the campus of McMurry University in Abilene, May 1-3. No. 1 seed TLU will match up with the winner of the McMurry vs. Ozarks (AR) game on Friday, May 1 at 4 PM. The tournament will be streamed in its entirety on FloCollege. All streaming and live stats links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.

For more information on Texas Lutheran softball, follow the Bulldogs on Facebook (@txlutheransoftball), X (Twitter) (@TLUsoftball), and Instagram (@tlu_softball) and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on Twitter, @tlu_athletics on Instagram and TikTok, and @tlubulldogs on Facebook).