LOS ANGELES, Dec. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a season that included winning Pac-12 Player of the Year, AVCA National Player of the Year and All-American honors, and leading Oregon to its first trip to the NCAA Div. I Women's Volleyball Championship Final, senior outside hitter Alaina Bergsma (Chandler, Ariz.) has received the Honda Sports Award for volleyball.
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"To receive this award is amazing," Bergsma said. "Our team had such a great season, and this award reflects so much hard work by our players and coaches. I'm so fortunate to have played volleyball for the Ducks, and have learned so many important life lessons through the sport. To be recognized with such a legendary award is a special way to end my collegiate career."
The CWSA presents the Honda Sports Award annually to top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. With this honor, Bergsma becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2013 Honda Cup. Bergsma was chosen by a vote from 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Haley Eckerman (Texas), Lauren Plum (Oregon), and Ariel Scott (Penn State).
Bergsma is a sports business major who transferred from Loyola Marymount in 2010. She won the Miss Oregon USA pageant in November 2011 and went on to the Miss USA Pageant in June 2012, winning the Miss Photogenic Award.
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for 37 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Honda has been a sponsor of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards for the past 27 years. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $2.5 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs at the institutions. Previous Honda Cup winners include Brittney Griner, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Lisa Fernandez, Misty May-Treanor, Maya Moore, and Candace Parker.
Media Contacts:
University of Oregon, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
Geoff Thurner (541) 346-2250, gthurner@uoregon.edu
CWSA Media Team
Lori Okimura (310) 597-1970, lori@creativesportsstrategies.com
Linda Reid (310) 291-9205, linda@creativesportsstrategies.com
SOURCE Honda Sports Awards
