AVE MARIA, Fla. — Ave Maria University Women's Soccer senior Betsy Laville has been named The Sun Conference Women's Soccer Champion of Character, as announced by the league office Tuesday evening. Laville was selected as the conference's Champion of Character by a vote of the league's head coaches, with coaches unable to vote for players from their own school.

The Champion of Character Award honors a student-athlete who best represents the NAIA's five core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Laville becomes the third player in program history to receive the honor, joining Clare Lauderback (2019) and Ariana Dale (2023) as previous recipients.

A team captain and member of the program's leadership group, Laville anchored the Gyrenes' defense this season as a starting center back. Despite battling injuries, her steady presence, resilience, and character left a lasting mark on her teammates and coaches alike. Her example of quiet strength and servant leadership reflected the values at the heart of Ave Maria women's soccer.

Laville's dedication to service began long before her time at Ave Maria. Since middle school, she has been deeply involved in the special needs community, beginning as a peer mentor at age 12. Through that experience, she formed a life-changing friendship with a boy named Joseph, who was deaf, nonverbal, and visually impaired. Spending time with him, Laville said, changed her understanding of what it means to be human, and teaching her to see the dignity and depth in every person.

In high school, Laville volunteered at Willow Tree Supports, a day program for adults with disabilities, and maintained a close friendship with Zoe, a girl with cognitive disabilities who remains one of her dearest friends. 

At Ave Maria, Laville joined the Ave Best Buddies Club, forming a friendship with a woman named Gaby through monthly events with the St. Margaret's group. In the summer of 2024, she served as a lead camp counselor at Camp Friendship and Camp Courage, supervising counselors and caring for children and adults with special needs through the organization True Friends.

Her compassion extended into 2025, when she worked in a nursing home caring for residents with dementia, finding joy in befriending and supporting them. Beyond these efforts, she volunteered over 100 hours at the Olathe Pregnancy Clinic, organized donation drives, and served multiple summers as a team captain at Camp Win, a youth sports camp for girls ages 6–12.

Laville's unwavering commitment to service and her heart for others embody the true spirit of the Champion of Character Award, leaving a lasting legacy within the Ave Maria women's soccer program and the wider university community.

Catch Laville and the Gyrenes in action on the Urban Edge Network as they take on the SCAD Bees this Wednesday, November 5^th in Savannah, Georgia, for the SUN Conference Quarterfinal match.