Jenna Gray, a senior setter from Stanford University, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Volleyball as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 44 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. With this honor, Gray becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious Class of 2020 Honda Cup which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 22, 2019, in downtown Los Angeles.
Gray was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Yossiana Pressley (Baylor), Dana Rettke (Wisconsin) and Jordan Thompson (Cincinnati).
"I am incredibly honored to have been chosen from a talented pool of student-athletes, both teammates and competitors, from across the nation to receive this award, “said Gray. “This honor would not have been possible without my teammates and dedicated staff at Stanford. For four years, I've been fortunate to play with my best friends. They inspire me and are the reason that I love this sport so much."
Gray, a senior setter from Shawnee, Kan., is a three-time Pac-12 Setter of the Year and led her team to its second straight and third NCAA title in four years. It was also the team’s third straight Pac-12 Championship. The three-time AVCA first-team All-American was also a 2019 Senior CLASS Award finalist and was honored by the Kansas City Sports Commission as the 2019 Co-Sportswoman of the Year.
She led the team with 10 double-doubles and paced the Pac-12 and ranked seventh nationally in assists per set (11.62). She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team after posting 39 assists in the championship match.
“As a leader on our team, Jenna had an incredible season,” said head coach Kevin Hambly. “We played as difficult a schedule as possible and she kept the group together in times of adversity. She reads the room well, and individuals well. Her emotional quotient is high. She also knows how to respond to that, to get the right behavior out of the people around her. Her knack for knowing who needs what and when is remarkable. She's wired to be great in whatever she chooses to pursue. She is a great representative of Stanford and the women's volleyball program, and I am truly going to miss coaching her!”
Gray is the second straight student-athlete from Stanford to win the Honda Award for volleyball after Kathryn Plummer was the recipient last year. Overall, Stanford leads all schools with 10 Honda Award winners in the sport of volleyball.
Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year.
The CWSA, in its 44th 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 $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda's involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.