UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State's Jonni Parker was named as one of 30 candidates for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award in women's volleyball. The award is presented to a student-athlete that excels both on and off the court.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in December.
A closer look at Jonni Parker as a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award:
Classroom
Parker is an elementary and early childhood education major, boasting a 3.71 GPA. She is working on minors in human development and family studies, deafness and hearing studies, and special education. Parker is also currently completing a student-teaching assignment at a local elementary school during the season.
She has been named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team twice.
Character
Parker is a three-year team captain, earning the honor since her sophomore year.
She is also a member of the Athletic Director's Leadership Institute. Parker takes pride in creating an enjoyable experience for younger fans and has taken the time to meet many after the game.
Community
Parker has been involved with numerous organizations and activities at Penn State.
She has participated with the Reading Rewards program, Penn State THON fundraiser, All-Sports Museum Trick-or-Treat, and the Spiritus Leoninus Organization.
Parker has also provided instruction at Penn State volleyball camps.
Competition
Parker has been earned AVCA All-America honors three times. She was named to the third team as a sophomore and an honorable mention as both a freshman and junior. She is also a three-time All-Northeast Region selection, three-time All-Big Ten selection, and was the 2018 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
For her career, Parker has over 1,000 kills, 600 digs, and 200 blocks.
