Lady Flames forward Bolton selected as 2021 NFHCA National Player of the Year

Liberty University senior forward Jill Bolton has been selected as the 2021 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I National Player of the Year.

Bolton is the first player in program history to be named NFHCA National Player of the Year, a prestigious honor presented to the top field hockey athlete at the collegiate level. Bolton is also the first Liberty student-athlete at the NCAA Division I level to be voted a national player of the year.

“The most prestigious award you can win in NCAA athletics is National Player of the Year. No one in school history has ever received this title, and I am beyond proud of Jill’s achievement,” said Lady Flames Field Hockey Head Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker. “Jill’s skill set is second to none, and her ability to lead will give her a competitive advantage in whatever career path she chooses. The mark she left on this program is unmistakable and has set a new standard of excellence at Liberty.”

Bolton was tabbed a 2021 NFHCA All-America First Team honoree on Tuesday, her second straight first-team All-American award and third overall All-American distinction. The senior forward received first-team honors during the Spring 2021 campaign and third-team recognition in 2019.

“It is a first for Liberty to have a student-athlete win a National Player of the Year award in Division I,” Liberty Director of Athletics Ian McCaw said. “Jill capped off a brilliant career by excelling on and off the field in leading our field hockey program to the BIG EAST Championship and NCAA Championship game.”

Bolton became the first player in school history NFHCA Division I South Region Player of the Year honors. She was one of five players in the nation to be named region player of the year. Bolton received NFHCA Division I National Player of the Year honors over Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year Brooke DeBerdine (Maryland), Mideast Region Player of the Year Sophia Gladieux (Penn State), Northeast Region Player of the Year Hannah Pearce (Harvard) and West Region Player of the Year Anthe Nijziel (Iowa).

An NFHCA All-South Region First-Team honoree, Bolton paced Liberty in goals (19) and points (45) this year. She finished the season ranked No. 8 in the nation in points per game (1.96) and No. 10 in goals per game (0.83).

Bolton earned NCAA Field Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team honors for her performance in the Final Four. The forward from Souderton, Pa., was also an All-BIG EAST First Team honoree, BIG EAST Championship MVP, and All-Tournament team selection. Bolton received one NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week recognition, two BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors, and one BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll distinction during her final season at Liberty.

Bolton closed out her Liberty career as the program record-holder in goals (61) and points (156), and she ranked third in career assists (34). She also leads the program in career games (95), starts (94), shots (330) and shots on goal (203).

Bolton guided Liberty to a nation-best 20 wins this fall and its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship title game. In the Final Four, Liberty defeated No. 5 Maryland 3-2 in double overtime before falling 2-0 to No. 7 Northwestern in the national championship game. Bolton scored a goal in the win over Maryland and assisted on Charlotte Vaanhold’s game-winning goal in double overtime. Liberty won 17 straight games from Sept. 17-Nov. 19, the nation’s longest winning streak this fall.