Dec. 16, 2011
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award winner, as well as first and second team selections were announced Thursday prior to the semifinal rounds of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship in San Antonio, Texas. Kaylie Gibson was named a first team selection after leading North Carolina to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Kanani Danielson of Hawai'i was voted the overall winner.
Danielson and Gibson were joined by Kim Hill (Pepperdine), Sarah Havel (College of Charleston) and Kelly Murphy (Florida) on the first team.
The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women's volleyball coaches, national volleyball media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in NCAA Division I women's volleyball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior 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 Lowe's 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.
Earlier in the week, Gibson became the first Tar Heel to ever earn multiple All-America honors, after being tabbed honorable mention for the second straight season. She finished her career second all-time in school history in career digs with 2,035, including 539 in her final campaign. The Apex, N.C., native also finished second in Carolina history in dig average (4.16). The senior libero leaves the program as one of the most decorated Tar Heels ever, as she was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and was named the 2010 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
