Marshall University Athletics
Ava Blake Named Chair of Sun Belt’s SAAC Executive Board
10/14/2026 11:19:00 AM | General, Softball, Student-Athlete Success
Marshall’s SAAC President will also serve as SBC’s NCAA National SAAC Representative for 2026-27
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Softball junior Ava Blake has been named Chair of the Sun Belt Conference's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board for the 2026-27 year.
The announcement was made during the 2026-27 Sun Belt Conference meetings, which took place this week.
With the position, Blake also will serve as the Sun Belt Conference's SAAC Representative for the NCAA.
"I could not be more proud of Ava!" said Gerald Harrison, Marshall University's Vice President and Director of Athletics. "Since arriving at Marshall, she has been an exceptional leader and teammate who represents the very best of The Herd. She will be an outstanding leader in our conference and a powerful voice for student-athletes on the national stage."
Since arriving at Marshall, Blake has taken an active role as a leader through community service and commitment to the betterment of Marshall Athletics.
The Moundsville, W.Va., native was named President of Marshall's SAAC Executive Board for 2026-27 after serving on the Executive Board in 2025-26. She also is a member of the HERd Leadership Circle for Marshall Athletics and the Criminal Justice Graduate AMD Program at Marshall University.
In August, she hosted a fireside chat with Harrison to discuss a variety of topics that impact intercollegiate athletics and student-athletes in today's climate within the NCAA.
"Ava personifies what we want in our student-athletes and brings our Herd Mentality to life through her leadership and commitment to others. We are proud to have her representing Marshall. One Goal. One Herd."
Blake has been a leader for Marshall Athletics on and off the field during her time with the Herd.
Last season, she was named a 2026 All-SBC Second Team selection after starting all 56 games in which she played for the Herd, helping the team to a 38-19 record overall and an NCAA Tournament berth – the third in the program's history.
Blake finished in the top-10 in the Sun Belt Conference in home runs (17, No. 4 in SBC), walks (29, No. 8 in SBC) and slugging percentage (.650, No. 10 in SBC).
She also was awarded 'Teammate of the Year' for Marshall Softball at the 2026 Marcos, Marshall Athletics' annual event that highlights student-athlete achievement.
Blake is pursuing her degree in Criminal Justice with minors in Psychology and Marketing and plans to further her education with a master's degree in Criminal Justice before attending law school.
The announcement of Blake's designation as the Chair of the Sun Belt's SAAC Executive Board came during the Sun Belt Conference Fall Meetings.
Also during those meetings, Marshall was recognized with the Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate Award – a highly-coveted award that is bestowed upon member institutions that have a single-year graduation success rate at or above 90 percent for student-athletes, as published by the NCAA Division I Graduation Rate Award report.
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