Chaussee Named as Honda Sport Award Finalist
January 10, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
Chaussee led UofL to the NCAA Championship Match
University of San Diego's Gabby Blossom, Claire Chaussee from the University of Louisville, Logan Eggleston of the University of Texas and Stanford University's Kendall Kip are the four finalists for the Class of 2023 Honda Sport Award for Volleyball as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.Â
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics". The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network in June.
The volleyball finalists were selected by a panel of experts and coaches from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The Honda Sport award winner for volleyball will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote. Â
Blossom, a graduate student hailing from St. Louis, Mo., is a 2022 AVCA First-Team All-American and was named the 2022 WCC Setter of the Year. She led her team to the NCAA semifinals and averaged 11.32 assists per set to rank first in the WCC and ninth nationally. The setter became just the third player in program history to reach 4,000 total career assists.
Chaussee was named a 2022 AVCA First-Team All-American and earned ACC Player of the Year honors. The outside hitter from Sun Prairie, Wisc., led her team to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Championship. Louisville finished the season ranked second nationally and the graduate student led the team in kills (452), points (483) and kills per set (3.80).
Eggleston is three-time Honda Award finalist and was most recently named the 2022 AVCA Player of the Year. The senior led her team to the NCAA Championship title and was named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player. Hailing from Brentwood, Tenn., the outside hitter was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year for the last three seasons is a five-time All-Big 12 First-Team honoree.
Kipp, an opposite hitter from Newport Beach, Calif., is a 2022 First-Team AVCA All-American and was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year this season. The senior registered double digit kills in 31 of 32 matches this season and ranked ninth nationally with 5.37 points per set and 11th nationally in kills per set (4.51). She hit .300 or better in 19 matches and had 20+ kills on nine occasions.
The CWSA, entering its 47th year, has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership 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. Â
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda's mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life's potential through its focus on improving children's health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.
