Rhamat Alhassan, a senior middle blocker from the University of Florida, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Volleyball as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 42 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. With this honor, Alhassan becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2018 Honda Cup which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27, 2018, in downtown Los Angeles.
Alhassan was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Simone Lee (Penn State), Kathryn Plummer (Stanford) and Haleigh Washington (Penn State).
"I was definitely surprised (when I was told) that I received the award, “said Alhassan. “I might be the person being recognized, but it speaks volumes about my coaches, support staff, my teammates, and Gator Nation. No part of this award was achieved individually. It took a family to get this accomplishment."
Hailing from Glenarden, Md., Alhassan is the 2017 SEC Player of the Year and a two-time first-team AVCA All-American. She joins Olympian Kelly Murphy (2008-11) as the only other Gator in history to earn a spot on one of the AVCA All-America teams all four years of her career. In addition, she is a four-time All-SEC and AVCA All-Region.
The middle blocker led the nation in blocks per set (1.70) and is one of two Division I players since 2010 to average at least 1.70 blocks per set and hit above .355. She tied for the seventh-highest career hitting percentage (.423) in Division I history and is a member of the US Volleyball National team.
“Few players leave a mark on a program or a school like Rhamat has at Florida,” stated Florida head coach Mary Wise. “The commitment shown to her education, her teammates, and her volleyball is unparalleled. She is the ideal role model for every young girl who aspires to compete in college.”
This is the first Honda Sport Award honor for Florida in the sport of Volleyball but Florida’s Jeni Jones won the Honda Inspiration Award in 1999. Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year.
The CWSA, in its 42nd year, honors the nation’s top NCAA women athletes recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.1 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.