Volgraf Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
6/22/2016 3:32:00 PM | Field Hockey
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The NCAA announced Tuesday the nominees for their 2016 Woman of the Year award, which honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership. Indiana field hockey senior Nicole Volgraf was named among the 517 female student-athletes nominated, the most nominees in the history of the 26-year award.
"Nicole's leadership was a major factor in our team's improvement from ninth-place to third-place in the Big Ten," said Indiana head coach Amanda Janney, when asked about the recent graduate. "She was a tremendous role model for our younger student-athletes in her ability to prepare and work hard on and off the field."
Volgraf is one of four nominees who competed at the Division-I level in field hockey, joining Lauren Blazing (Duke University), Kelly Freitas (University of Massachusetts-Lowell), and Lisa McCarthy (Northwestern University). Amongst the Big Ten, Volgraf is one of nine nominees spanning six different sports.
"On the field, Nicole encouraged and motivated our team to achieve more every day," Janney continued. "Off the field, she was well respected as the SAAC representative, as she believed in our motto: '24 Sports, One Team'. She was innovative in making changes to better our athletic department."
In 2015, Janney's first season at Indiana, Volgraf served as one of Indiana's team captains. She scored two goals in her senior season, bringing her career total to 16 (12th-IU history), and helped guide the Hoosiers to the highest single-season Big Ten win total in program history. Volgraf appeared in 18 of the Hoosiers' 19 games in her senior season, finishing with a career total of 68 appearances and 48 starts.
Indiana University presented Volgraf with the Big Ten Medal of Honor, the conference's most exclusive and prestigious award, at the Spirit of Indiana Showcase for her exemplary career as a student-athlete, on and off the turf. The Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania native is the first Indiana field hockey player to win Big Ten Medal of Honor since Haley Exner (2008).
In addition, Volgraf thrice received Academic All-Big Ten honors, and earned the All-Big Ten Sportsmanship award in 2015. At the Spirit of Indiana Showcase, Volgraf received acknowledgement for her loyal service to Indiana University Athletics as the department's president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Following the initial list of nominations, the conference committees will determine two nominees from their respective athletic conferences. The NCAA will then reduce the list to 30 nominees, ten from each division.
The 10 nominees from each division will be celebrated before the committee selects three finalists from each division in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select a winner from the nine finalists, which will be announced on Sunday, October 16 at the NCAA's annual awards ceremony in Indianapolis.
"Nicole's leadership was a major factor in our team's improvement from ninth-place to third-place in the Big Ten," said Indiana head coach Amanda Janney, when asked about the recent graduate. "She was a tremendous role model for our younger student-athletes in her ability to prepare and work hard on and off the field."
Volgraf is one of four nominees who competed at the Division-I level in field hockey, joining Lauren Blazing (Duke University), Kelly Freitas (University of Massachusetts-Lowell), and Lisa McCarthy (Northwestern University). Amongst the Big Ten, Volgraf is one of nine nominees spanning six different sports.
"On the field, Nicole encouraged and motivated our team to achieve more every day," Janney continued. "Off the field, she was well respected as the SAAC representative, as she believed in our motto: '24 Sports, One Team'. She was innovative in making changes to better our athletic department."
In 2015, Janney's first season at Indiana, Volgraf served as one of Indiana's team captains. She scored two goals in her senior season, bringing her career total to 16 (12th-IU history), and helped guide the Hoosiers to the highest single-season Big Ten win total in program history. Volgraf appeared in 18 of the Hoosiers' 19 games in her senior season, finishing with a career total of 68 appearances and 48 starts.
Indiana University presented Volgraf with the Big Ten Medal of Honor, the conference's most exclusive and prestigious award, at the Spirit of Indiana Showcase for her exemplary career as a student-athlete, on and off the turf. The Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania native is the first Indiana field hockey player to win Big Ten Medal of Honor since Haley Exner (2008).
In addition, Volgraf thrice received Academic All-Big Ten honors, and earned the All-Big Ten Sportsmanship award in 2015. At the Spirit of Indiana Showcase, Volgraf received acknowledgement for her loyal service to Indiana University Athletics as the department's president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Following the initial list of nominations, the conference committees will determine two nominees from their respective athletic conferences. The NCAA will then reduce the list to 30 nominees, ten from each division.
The 10 nominees from each division will be celebrated before the committee selects three finalists from each division in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select a winner from the nine finalists, which will be announced on Sunday, October 16 at the NCAA's annual awards ceremony in Indianapolis.
Players Mentioned
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