FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern softball team and head coach Julie LeMaire are pleased to announce the signing of Aly Loyd, the first signee of the 2018 season.
 
Loyd, currently a senior at Viera High School, will enter her final season after a stellar performance as a junior. The starting catcher of all 28 games played, she helped lead her team to a 26-2 overall record, finishing fifth in the FHSAA 7A State Tournament. Her 50 hits, 16 doubles and 18 RBIs lead to a .320 batting average and placed her on the Miracle Sports All-State First Team as a catcher.
 
As a team, the Hawks finished as the 2016 Florida Class 7A District 6 Champions and the Cape Coast Conference Champions, ranking as high as 8th in the USA Today Softball National poll.
 
During the summer, Loyd competed for the Tampa Mustangs 18A team under the direction of head coach Mike Romero. For the season, Loyd recorded a solid .479 batting average and a .562 slugging percentage, propelling her team to the 2016 ASA 18A National Championship Tournament.
 
"We are very excited to bring Aly's athleticism and academic excellence aboard our Shark softball family," said LeMaire. "Behind the plate, she is very agile, making blocking and receiving particularly natural for her. This will be a tremendous asset for our pitchers to be able to perform to their best ability. Aly is a great addition to our program and we are so happy she chose NSU as her future home."