University of Minnesota Athletics
Tapps Top 10 Senior CLASS Award Finalists
11/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Senior CLASS Award Top 10 Finalists
University of Minnesota women's volleyball student-athletes Hannah Tapp and Paige Tapp have been named top 10 finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS award, announced today by the committee.
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.
The duo were named top 30 finalists on Oct. 13. The 10 finalists will be placed on the official ballot. Those 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. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in December.
A 2015 First Team American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American and unanimous 2015 All-Big Ten Selection, Hannah Tapp has played in 77 sets for the Gophers this season and ranks third in kills (225). The middle blocker averages 2.92 kills per set and 1.10 blocks per set. A marketing major through the Carlson School of Management, Hannah holds a 3.448 cumulative grade point average and is set to graduate this fall. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Hannah is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Along with her academic and athletic success, Hannah has volunteered over 40 hours of community service through the Gophers' M.A.G.I.C. program (Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community).
"Hannah is a very good volleyball player, a good student and brings a great leadership and energy to the team," head coach Hugh McCutcheon said. "She has really embraced and understands the idea that no one can do it alone. The best players make others around them better and Hannah really works hard at that skill. She engages her teammates to get the best out of them. She holds herself to a high standard on the court and in the classroom."
Paige Tapp is a two-time AVCA All-American, an honor she received in both 2014 and 2015. She is also the first Gopher Academic All-American in over a decade. The middle blocker was also an All-Big Ten selection as a junior. A two-time Preseason All-Big Ten honoree, Paige currently ranks fourth on the team with 149 kills, averaging 1.89 per set in 79 sets played. She also ranks second with 1.22 blocks per set. A marketing major in Carlson School of Management, Paige holds a 3.833 cumulative GPA and is set to graduate this fall. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Paige also received the team's Gold Country Award, which goes to the student-athlete with the top GPA of the competition semester (4.0). Paige has over 16 hours of community service with the M.A.G.I.C. program.
"Paige is a very accomplished student athlete as a two-time All-American and Academic All-American," head coach Hugh McCutcheon said. She's a great team player and leader for us - especially at the net. Her wiliness to give to her team goes above and beyond and she's been an integral part of our programs development over the past 4 years."
