University of Minnesota Athletics
Wittman Named a Senior CLASS Finalist
8/28/2013 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug 28, 2013
University of Minnesota volleyball senior outside hitter Ashley Wittman (Shakopee, Minn.) was named a finalist for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award, Wednesday, August. 28, 2013. Wittman was one of 30 finalists named and one of five from a Big Ten Conference institution.
Wittman was recognized as a student-athlete who 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 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.
Wittman, a Preseason All-Big Ten, was the Golden Gophers' 2012 team captain and was named an All-America and All-Big Ten honorable mention as a junior. A six-rotation player, Wittman anchored the 2012 Gopher defense when she led the team with 350 digs to average 2.8 per set. Posting over 1,000 career kills, Wittman was a 2011 All-American and unanimous All-Big Ten selection her sophomore year when she led the team in kills (566), kps (4.48) and points (607).
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in December. The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular 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.
