Post by huskervbfan on Jan 18, 2007 14:38:00 GMT -5
-- Ontario Native Is Automatically Nominated for
Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award --
January 18, 2007 — University of Nebraska junior Sarah Pavan has been chosen as the nation’s top collegiate female volleyball player. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 31st year.
Pavan’s victory will earn her the 2007 Honda Sports Award, given annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, along with automatic nomination for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. She was voted over three other nominees: Foluke Akinradewo, a sophomore at Stanford University; Nana Meriwether, a senior at UCLA as well as last year’s Honda Sports Award winner for volleyball, Courtney Thompson, a senior at the University of Washington. All four nominees were selected by the AVCA All-American Selection Committee.
“I’ve known since I was five years old that I wanted to play volleyball in the U.S., so I was so excited when I found that I had won the Honda Sports Award,” said Pavan. “I’m honored to represent collegiate women volleyball players all over the country. I was looking over the list of past winners -- players like Logan Tom, Misty May and Flo Hyman -- these were people that I idolized when I was little and always wished I could be as good as them. Seeing my name along side them is a really big deal for me.”
A 6’5” junior from Kitchener, Ontario, Pavan led the Huskers to a 33-1 record last year, as well as the school’s third national title and the team’s #1 NCAA ranking for the entire season. She was named the 2006 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, 2006 AVCA National Player of the Year and was a recipient of ESPN: The Magazine’s, 2006 Academic All-American of the Year with a 4.00 GPA in Biochemistry. She was also a three-time, first-team AVCA All-American and two-time first-team ESPN: The Magazine Academic All-American.
Pavan led the Big 12 in kills with an average of 5.10 per game, making her 10th in the nation for kills. She reached double figures in kills in 33 of 34 matches, and finished with 20 or more kills in 10 matches. She also led her team and the Big 12 with 5.98 points per game, hitting .313 for the season.
After college, Pavan plans to play volleyball overseas for as long as she can. She says she would then like to move back and go to medical school and perhaps become a pediatrician.
Pavan joins three past Honda Sports Award winners for volleyball from the University of Nebraska, becoming the fourth “Husker” to win this award. Past winners include: Greichaly Cepero (2001), Allison Weston (1996) and Karen Dahlgren (1987).
Previously announced Honda Sports Award recipients include the University of North Carolina’s Heather O’Reilly for soccer; the University of Maryland’s Paula Infante for field hockey and Texas Tech’s Sally Kipyego for cross-country. Honda Sports Award winners in basketball, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field will be announced in the coming months. The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year will be determined by separate balloting involving all NCAA-member institutions and the winner will receive the Honda-Broderick Cup at Columbia University in New York in late June 2007.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. sponsors the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program.
Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award --
January 18, 2007 — University of Nebraska junior Sarah Pavan has been chosen as the nation’s top collegiate female volleyball player. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 31st year.
Pavan’s victory will earn her the 2007 Honda Sports Award, given annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, along with automatic nomination for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. She was voted over three other nominees: Foluke Akinradewo, a sophomore at Stanford University; Nana Meriwether, a senior at UCLA as well as last year’s Honda Sports Award winner for volleyball, Courtney Thompson, a senior at the University of Washington. All four nominees were selected by the AVCA All-American Selection Committee.
“I’ve known since I was five years old that I wanted to play volleyball in the U.S., so I was so excited when I found that I had won the Honda Sports Award,” said Pavan. “I’m honored to represent collegiate women volleyball players all over the country. I was looking over the list of past winners -- players like Logan Tom, Misty May and Flo Hyman -- these were people that I idolized when I was little and always wished I could be as good as them. Seeing my name along side them is a really big deal for me.”
A 6’5” junior from Kitchener, Ontario, Pavan led the Huskers to a 33-1 record last year, as well as the school’s third national title and the team’s #1 NCAA ranking for the entire season. She was named the 2006 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, 2006 AVCA National Player of the Year and was a recipient of ESPN: The Magazine’s, 2006 Academic All-American of the Year with a 4.00 GPA in Biochemistry. She was also a three-time, first-team AVCA All-American and two-time first-team ESPN: The Magazine Academic All-American.
Pavan led the Big 12 in kills with an average of 5.10 per game, making her 10th in the nation for kills. She reached double figures in kills in 33 of 34 matches, and finished with 20 or more kills in 10 matches. She also led her team and the Big 12 with 5.98 points per game, hitting .313 for the season.
After college, Pavan plans to play volleyball overseas for as long as she can. She says she would then like to move back and go to medical school and perhaps become a pediatrician.
Pavan joins three past Honda Sports Award winners for volleyball from the University of Nebraska, becoming the fourth “Husker” to win this award. Past winners include: Greichaly Cepero (2001), Allison Weston (1996) and Karen Dahlgren (1987).
Previously announced Honda Sports Award recipients include the University of North Carolina’s Heather O’Reilly for soccer; the University of Maryland’s Paula Infante for field hockey and Texas Tech’s Sally Kipyego for cross-country. Honda Sports Award winners in basketball, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field will be announced in the coming months. The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year will be determined by separate balloting involving all NCAA-member institutions and the winner will receive the Honda-Broderick Cup at Columbia University in New York in late June 2007.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. sponsors the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program.
