CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Senior right-hander Eden Bigham and senior shortstop Jade Hylton both earned preseason All-ACC honors by a vote of the league’s coaches it was announced by the league’s office on Thursday (Jan. 22).
The preseason accolades continue to come in for Eden Bigham and Jade Hylton.
— Virginia Softball (@UVASoftball) January 22, 2026
The duo have been named to the preseason All-ACC team.#GoHoos | #4for40 | #PeopleMakeThePlace pic.twitter.com/hmzBbgBJPx
Hylton was a second-team All-America honoree as a junior as well as garnering All-Region and All-ACC first team honors, while Bigham also garnered All-Region and All-ACC first team honors. The duo helped lead the Cavaliers to a second consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament and the quarterfinals of the ACC Championships.
Last season, Hylton hit .362 and set program single-season records with 19 home runs, 64 runs scored and an .802 slugging percentage. She also set the career record for home runs and sits at 43 heading into the 2026 campaign.
Bigham is coming off a campaign that saw her post 18 wins and six saves as she tallied a 2.34 ERA and held opponents to a .191 batting average against. She struck out 127 batters on the year. She enters the 2026 campaign in the top 10 in career victories (47) and strikeouts (424).
Virginia is currently in preseason practice with the 2026 season set to open at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic hosted by Coastal Carolina on February 6.