ROXANA - Roxana catcher Lilli Ray, a senior and one of two key team leaders alongside Ava Cherry, has emerged as a top contributor for the Shells’ highly successful 2026 girls softball team, according to coach Pat Brannon. Ray and Cherry are both signed to attend Lincoln Land Community College to play softball.
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Coach Brannon said Ray is a “great ball player” and "great person." He said Ray and Cherry are “two big leaders of this team.” He added, “Both seniors - Lilli and Ava - are good people, and we miss them greatly when they are gone."
Lilli joins her teammate, Ava Cherry, as a Midwest Members Credit Union Female Athlete of the Month. See the Cherry story here.
Ray has played volleyball and softball all four years of high school and has received multiple softball awards, including team MVP, first-team all-conference, Defensive Player of the Year, and Illinois Scholar Athlete. She was recently named an Illinois State Scholar, holds a 4.0 GPA, and is a member of the Roxana High National Honor Society.
Coach Brannon credited Ray’s work behind the plate, saying she “for the most part calls games behind the plate” and that the team has “the trust in her very smart.” He added that Ray can “think what hitters are thinking at the plate.”
Ray has also played travel softball for Bluff City for the last six years, winning multiple tournaments and placing second at Nationals in Florida in 2025.
Brannon pointed to Ray’s power at the plate, saying, “The amount of power she has at the plate and some of the home runs she has hit have been awesome. One of her home runs cleared the 250-foot fence a couple of weeks ago.”
Ray plans to become a lawyer in the future and has high aspirations.
