Leaf Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami’s Savanah Leaf was selected by the Atlantic Coast Conference as a nominee of the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Leaf was one of two ACC nominees, joined by Florida State cross country and track and field standout Colleen Quigley.
“I am so honored for this nomination,” Leaf said. “It is extremely humbling to be rewarded for my hard work. I am grateful that during my time at Miami I was able to learn from so many strong and successful women what it takes to be a Woman of the Year.”
Now in its 25th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year program honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. From the group of nominees, the top 10 will be chosen from each NCAA division in September. The selection committee will then determine the top three from each division to make up the final nine finalists. The national winner will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year awards event on Sunday, October 18 in Indianapolis.
“I can think of no one more deserving of this nomination than Savanah,” Miami athletic director Blake James said. “What she achieved on the volleyball court and in the classroom was truly remarkable and, combined with her commitment to the University, local and world communities, she is an inspiration to us all.”
A standout on and off the volleyball court, the Hurricanes’ Leaf joined Quigley as a Capital One Academic All-American. While pursuing a double major in psychology and human development at Miami, she earned distinction on the President’s Honor Roll, the Provost’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List Honor Roll, Athletic Director Honor Roll and UM’s Book Buster Club. She also earned membership in Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Leaf twice earned All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team recognition and is a three-time ACC Honor Roll student-athlete.
Leaf was named an AVCA Second Team All-American and AVCA East Coast All-Region after an outstanding senior season in which she was named the ACC Player of the Year and to the All-ACC First Team. The San Anselmo, California native finished the season with 4.65 kills/set, ranking 12th in the nation and atop the ACC. The talented outside hitter led the Hurricanes in kills (502) and in points (5.33).
Leaf earned ACC Player of the Week honors three times during the 2014 season. She joined an elite club at the University of Miami, surpassing 1,000 kills for her career. Leaf, who ranks fifth in program history with 1,194 kills, also set the program record for kills in a match a when she recorded 31 in a five-set victory over UCF in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
“We are very proud of Savanah,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “She was an exemplary student-athlete who made an impact on the court, in the classroom and in the community. Savanah has been recognized by the ACC, AVCA, and now the NCAA. It is great to see her close out her career with such great recognition.”
Quigley and Leaf emerged as the ACC’s 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year candidates following a vote of the league’s 15 member schools. The strong list of league nominees that also included Duke’s Elizabeth Williams (basketball), North Carolina’s Courtney Waite (lacrosse), NC State’s Emily Weiman (softball), Notre Dame’s Anna Kottkamp (rowing), Pitt’s Brianna Kiesel (basketball) and Lauren Mills (swimming and diving), Syracuse’s Komal Safdar (tennis) and Virginia’s Courtney Swan (lacrosse). ACC member Boston College’s Emily Pfalzer (ice hockey) is being recognized by the Hockey East Conference.
NCAA member colleges and universities nominated 480 female student-athletes – the most ever in the history of the program – for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Of the nominees, 207 competed in Division I, 93 competed in Division II and 180 competed in Division III athletics.
Former Notre Dame soccer standout Elizabeth Tucker was named the 2014 NCAA Woman of the Year. Virginia’s Peggy Boutilier received the honor in 1998, and Wake Forest’s Annie Bersagel was recognized in 2006.
Miami opens the 2015 season on August 28 against Illinois State. The match, which begins at 7 p.m., is the first of three the Hurricanes will play in the season-opening Hurricane Invitational at the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the University of Miami campus.
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