ST. LOUIS – Missouri State's Kyle Hiebert was named Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the third-straight year, joining teammates Kian Yari and Michael Creek on the 2021 MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, the league announced Wednesday.
Additionally, Nicolo Mulatero received honorable mention status as a total of 17 student-athletes were recognized on the conference academic list.
Hiebert (La Salle, Manitoba, Canada) was selected as the Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the third-straight year. It is also his fifth time being selected as a first team recipient after becoming the Valley's only player to win three consecutive MVC Defensive Player of the Year awards. He has made 85 starts in his career, appearing in all 86 games. This season, he has anchored a strong backline to eight shutouts, a 17-1 record, and a third-straight regular-season conference championship and second-straight MVC tournament title. Hiebert has also netted three goals for the Bears this season and added four assists. Hiebert is completing a certificate in Data Analytics through the Master's of Accountancy program. He currently boasts a graduate GPA of 3.92.
Creek (St. Louis, Mo.) made his way onto the first team for the fourth-straight year. In 2021 he has played 16 full matches in the box. He has helped the Bears to eight shutouts and a No. 4 national ranking for goals against average heading into the NCAA Tournament. Creek is receiving his Master's degree in Business Administration and holds a 3.88 GPA for his efforts at Missouri State.
Yari (Manchester, England) lands a spot on the list for his second-straight year. He has made 17 starts this season and appeared in all 16 regular-season games. Yari leads the team with eight assists and has added two goals so far in 2021. The midfielder also leads the team in corner kicks so far this year. He is majoring in Economics and holds a 3.88 GPA.
Mulatero (Givoletto, Italy) earns honorable mention honors this season. He has made 15 appearances for the Bears this season, recording three goals and adding two assists. Mulatero graduated with a degree in Economics before pursuing his Master's in Business Administration. He holds a 3.57 GPA.
The criteria for the all-MVC honor parallels the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for Academic All-America voting. Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale). Also, students must have participated in at least 75 percent of the regular season matches or played in the league tournament. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution (true freshmen and redshirt freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.
Missouri State is making its third-straight, and sixth overall, trip to the NCAA Tournament beginning on Thursday, Nov. 18. The Bears will host Creighton in a first-round matchup at Allison South Stadium and the game will kick off at 6 p.m.
