Charleston, W.Va. – The University of Charleston Athletic Department is inducting four honorees into the 2026 Hall of Fame Class. This prestigious class includes football player Brett Benes, women's soccer player Holly Bigg, men's soccer player Connor Branson, and the 2015-16 Softball team. 

The Hall of Fame Celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, September 25^th, 2026 in the UC Ballroom. 

Brett Benes '16 – Football
A highly sought after recruit out of Cardinal Newman High School in Florida, Benes signed his letter of intent with UC, where he competed for his entire collegiate career. After limited reps in his freshman year, Benes broke onto the scene in the 2014 season with 53 punt attempts totaling 2065 yards for an average distance of 39.0, with 3 of those punts going for 50+ yards. Benes stepped up his performance during his junior year, where he began to get national attention. His punts traveled for an average of 43.7 yards with 13 of them going over 50. His kickoffs traveled an average of 56.3 yards, resulting in 18 touchbacks. He was named First Team All-MEC as a punter, as well as First Team All-American for Division II. His senior year, Benes continued his stand-out kicking and punting and was named First Team All-MEC for punting and Second Team All-MEC for kicking. Also, during his final year at UC, he was named Second Team All-American and earned a Hero Sports D2 National Special Teams Player of the Week. Over his career, Benes was a 4x MEC Special Teams Player of the Week. He currently holds the UC record for the longest punt, sitting at 71 yards. 

Holly Bigg '14 – Women's Soccer
A native of Limehouse, Ontario, Holly Bigg spent all 4 of her collegiate seasons at the University of Charleston. In her time here, Bigg played a crucial role in the team's success, switching between defending and sliding up to the midfield. As a freshman in the 2011 season, Bigg scored 6 goals and added 4 assists which earned her Second Team All-Conference honors, as well as Daktronics Atlantic All-Region Second Team as a midfielder. As a sophomore, Bigg adopted a different role as a defender for the Golden Eagles, still notching 3 goals and 2 assists. She was named First Team All-Conference, NSCAA All-Region Third Team, and Daktronics Atlantic All-Region Second Team for her 2012 season. She continued her stellar performance on the defensive end in her junior year, earning another First Team All-Conference and NSCAA All-Atlantic Region Second Team. For her final season with the Golden Eagles in 2014, Bigg was moved back to the midfield, and immediately made her offensive prowess known in the conference. She led the MEC with 10 goals and was twice named MEC Offensive Player of the Week. Bigg was named First Team All-Conference as a midfielder, as well as First Team Daktronics All-Atlantic Region. Over the course of her career, Bigg played in 72 games for the Golden Eagles, starting 70 of them, scoring 22 goals and adding 12 assists. 
 
Conor Branson '15 – Men's Soccer
Hailing from Pontefract, England, Branson spent 3 years in the maroon and gold. In his first year with Charleston, Branson stepped into his role in the back line confidently, tallying 1453 minutes played with 5 goals and 1 assist. It was during his second year that Branson started to get conference and national attention. During the 2014 season, Branson helped lead the Golden Eagles all the way to the National Championship Game, contributing 9 goals and 7 assists along the way. For his final season with UC in 2015, the team made it all the way to the Final Four, with Branson leading the defense and adding 4 goals and 4 assists. Over his 3 years with the Golden Eagles, Branson logged 5,312 minutes, starting in 63 games, scoring 18 total goals and notching 12 assists. In his career, Branson was a 2x Mountain East Defender of the Year (2014 & 2015), 2x Mountain East Scholar Athlete of the Year (2014-15 & 2015-16), NSCAA Atlantic Regional Player of the Year (2014), CCA National Defensive Player of the Year (2015), 2x NSCAA All-American Scholar (2014 & 2015), 2x NSCAA First Team All-American (2014 & 2015), 2x CCA First Team All-American (2014 & 2015), and a 2x NCAA Elite 90 Winner (2014 & 2015). 

2015-16 Softball Team
In the Spring of 2016, the University of Charleston Softball team dominated their way to the first appearance at the College World Series in school history. The team had a 50-12 overall record, going 29-3 in the MEC, which put them first in the MEC South Division. In 21 games played at home, they lost only 1. They won the Atlantic Region Championship and were ranked #8 in the Final NFCA Top-25 Poll. During the season, the team went on a 25-game win streak, spanning from April 2^nd to April 30^th. Head Coach Ray Loeser was named Mountain East Conference Coach of the Year and the entire staff was recognized as the NFCS Atlantic Coaching Staff of the Year. The team had 2 All-American selections in Alli Burdette and Kelly Browning. There were 4 All-Region and All-MEC selections, which included both Burdette and Browning, as well as Laura Ashlock and Rachelle Toppings. Alli Burdette was named Mountain East Conference Pitcher of the Year. Ashlock, Burdette, and Toppings were all named to the MEC All-Tournament Team. The team also had 4 CoSIDA Academic All-District Selections, which included Browning and Toppings, as well as Jessie Rowe and Katelyn Hamilton. Kelly Browning was additionally named as an Academic All-American.