DES MOINES, Iowa - Senior Alyssa Brand (Skokie, Ill.) of the Drake University women's soccer team is a recipient of this year's Missouri Valley Conference's Most Courageous Award, Drake Athletics announced Wednesday. Brand will be recognized before Drake's Thursday afternoon regular-season finale against Missouri State.
The MVC presents the award to past or present student-athletes, coaches or university administrators who demonstrate unusual courage in the face of personal illness, adversity or tragedy and whose behavior reflects honor on the institution or the Conference.
Brand was diagnosed with thyroid cancer midway through the 2017 season.