Gainesville, FL

Bender enters her first season with Santa Fe Softball in 2026. The 5'6 outfielder is from Inverness, Florida and played at Citrus High School and Lake Sumter State College.

Bender excelled at Lake Sumter, hitting .453 en route to making the NJCAA DII All-American Second Team, but she is arguably putting together an even more exciting season so far.

Bender has appeared in each of the Saints' fourteen games this season, hitting in her usual two slot in the lineup while patrolling centerfield on defense. She is an everyday bat in who has been able to reach base safely on over half her trips to the plate. Bender has accumulated twenty-two hits this season and 14 RBI's and is currently in the midst of a 13 game hit streak. She is averaging .512 with an on-base percentage of .632 and has struck out just once on the season.

Bender is a teammate who leads best by example. She is someone who is looked up to by her teammates not just because of her outstanding performance, but because of her ability to lift those up around her. She is a great competitor and is someone who can play at any level of collegiate softball. She plans to pursue a degree in physical education and when she's not tearing it up on the softball field, she enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time at the beach.

UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine sponsors a "Teammate of the Week" selection from all five Santa Fe Saints sports teams. The Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), the SF sport specific coaches, and the athletic director nominate deserving Saints for this weekly award. Teammates of the week will embody the character qualities the SAINTS (Seek, Aware, Integrity, Noble-Minded, Thankful, and Safe) emphasize and value. SF Student-Athletes who impact their team, community, classmates, and families for the better are the best candidates for this weekly award hosted by proud SF partner UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.