Paige Tapp of the University of Minnesota has been awarded the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball.
The award is chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I volleyball coaches, national volleyball media and fans. The award is given out to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I volleyball. Eligibility for the award is set by the requirements that the athlete is a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, community, character and competition.
Tapp is the first Golden Gopher to outright win the Senior CLASS award.
“It is an honor to receive the Senior CLASS Award,” said Tapp. “I have been pushed, tested and empowered to be the best version of myself in all aspects of life.”
On top of the Senior CLASS Award, Tapp has been named a two-time All-American, an All-Big Ten selection as a junior and earned two AVCA All-Region honors in 2015 and 2016.
Tapp ranked second with Minnesota in blocks per set with 1.08. She also helped the Gophers to an active 36-game home court winning streak that started back in 2014.
In the classroom, Tapp was named as a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America, earning first-team honors this season. Tapp graduated this month with a 3.88 GPA as a marketing major, completing her coursework in just 3.5 years.
This season Tapp was a Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree for Minnesota, having served over 16 hours of community service work with M.A.G.I.C. (Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community) and Athletes in Action Ultimate Training Camp. On top of these organizations, Tapp is was apart of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Tapp has assisted in fundraising events for Unlimited Dance Marathon and with the Gophers Athletics’ HopeDay Festival.
“We are so proud of Paige and could not be happier with her selection as the 2016 Senior CLASS Award winner,” said head coach Hugh McCutcheon.
First-Team Senior CLASS Award All-Americans
Inky Ajanaku, Stanford
Jazzmin Babers, Texas A&M
Kadie Rolfzen, Nebraska
Lauren Smith, Creighton
Paige Tapp, Minnesota
Second-Team Senior CLASS Award All-Americans
Amy Boswell, BYU
Katie Brand, Kansas State
Claire Felix, UCLA
Hannah Tapp, Minnesota
Taylor Whittingham, USC
Past Winners
- 2015 – Cassie Strickland, libero, University of Washington
- 2014 – Liz McMahon, opposite hitter, University of Illinois
- 2013 – Ariel Scott, right side, Penn State
- 2012 – Gina Mancuso, outside hitter, Nebraska
- 2011 – Kanani Danielson, outside hitter, Hawaii
- 2010 – Ellie Blankenship, libero, Northern Iowa
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