Oct. 4, 2017
Senior CLASS Award Release
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Penn State women's volleyball seniors Haleigh Washington and Simone Lee were named to a list of 30 Division I women's volleyball candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award on Tuesday evening. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
Washington and Lee both have excelled in all four areas.
Washington, a philosophy major, is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, earning second-team honors in 2015, and third-team honors in 2016. As a team captain of the Penn State women's volleyball program, Washington is a vocal leader as well as a lead-by-example player. She also has taken part in Athletes Take Action Halloween Hall of Fame Walk and has taken time to read to children at the local elementary schools, along with other volunteer opportunities.
On the court, Washington is a two-time first-team AVCA All-American, earning the honors in 2015 and 2016. She also was named a Volleyball Magazine All-American during those seasons. She was a starting middle blocker on the 2014 National Champion team and has helped the team finish in the top 10 in each of her first three years at Penn State. In 2014 she was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team.
Washington has been named to the All-Big Ten team every year, including being a unanimous selection in 2015 and 2016. In 2014 she was named as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She has earned six Big Ten Player of the Week honors and was named the Sports Impact/AVCA National Player of the Week. She has earned multiple preseason all-tournament honors throughout her career.
Lee is a broadcast journalism major minoring in African American studies.
"With this major, I, will not only be able to speak to the public about matters in the world, but I will also be able to use my sports background to perhaps even do some sports broadcasting as well."
Lee, 2017 team captain credits her strength of character to her freshman season. She alluded to the fact it can be tough on people when you don't play, but she knew she had to be ready at any moment to step in and play. She is a leader by example, working hard every day, and she believes that no one gets an easy pass-that you have to work for everything you get in life.
She also has participated in Penn State's Panhellenic Dance Marathon for three years, while helping with the Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee, Wis.
On the court, Lee is a 2016 AVCA First Team All-American, a unanimous All-Big Ten selection, earned Big Ten Player of the Week and espnW National Player of the Week following a 30-kill performance in an upset of No. 1 Minnesota. She finished 2016 with 503 kills, the fourth-most during a single season in 25-point rally scoring era. So far in 2017, she has tied her career-high of 30 kills in a five-set battle against Texas A&M and helped the Nittany Lions take down Stanford twice.
From the list of 30 candidates, a committee will select ten finalists for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character, and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.
Volleyball 2017 Candidates
Rhamat Alhassan, Middle Blocker, Florida
Haley Barnes, Outside Hitter, High Point
Kelsey Bittinger, Outside Hitter, Kent State
Julia Brown, Outside Hitter, NC State
Alyssa Cavanaugh, Outside Hitter, Western Kentucky
Alexis Conaway, Middle Blocker, Iowa State
Sammy Condon, Middle Hitter, Oakland
Melanie Crow, Outside Hitter, Missouri
Lydia Dimke, Setter, Creighton
Ashley Dusek, Libero, Kentucky
Emily Hiebert, Setter, Wichita State
Kelly Hunter, Setter, Nebraska
Brittany Jessen, Setter, South Dakota
Lily Johnson, Outside Hitter, Missouri State
Crissy Jones, Outside Hitter, Washington
Jaelyn Keene, Middle Blocker, Illinois State
Sydney LeMay, Middle Blocker, Western Michigan
Simone Lee, Outside Hitter, Penn State
Abbie Lehman, Middle Blocker, Wichita State
Jessica Lucas, Setter, Western Kentucky
Merete Lutz, Opposite, Stanford
Mary-Kate Marshall, Outside Hitter, Oregon State
Ebony Nwanebu, Outside Hitter, Texas
Maddie Palmer, Outside Hitter, Radford
Kelsie Payne, Right Side Hitter, Kansas
Courtney Schwan, Outside Hitter, Washington
Katie Staiger, Outside Hitter, Baylor
Megan Theiller, Outside Hitter, Fairfield
Kori Waelbroeck, Right Side, IUPUI
Haleigh Washington, Middle Blocker, Penn State