Bittinger Selected as Senior CLASS Award Finalist
11/9/2017 12:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Kent State senior outside hitter Kelsey Bittinger is one of 10 Division I women's volleyball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court selected as finalist for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award®, the organization announced Thursday morning. The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in October.
Nationwide fan voting begins immediately, and fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through December 4. Fan votes will then be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award recipient will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in December.
Bittinger joins Rachel Iaquaniello (Eastern Michigan) and Allyson Doyle (Western Michigan) as the only Mid-American Conference student-athletes to be named finalists since the award expanded to include women's volleyball in 2010.
One of the most decorated student-athletes in Kent State Volleyball history, Bittinger was a 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Third Team selection and boasts an impressive 3.95 cumulative GPA as an applied physics major and member of the Honors College. She is a two-time member of the Golden Flashes' leadership core and her drive to succeed in everything she does sets an example for younger teammates.
Bittinger has logged nearly 70 hours of community service during her time at Kent State, which includes several visits to local elementary schools and an assisted living center, food and school supply drives, Habitat for Humanity projects and the annual Jock Jams event, among other activities.
She is one of only two Kent State players ever to earn multiple All-MAC First Team honors and one of five to total 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Bittinger currently ranks third all-time with 1,449 kills and fourth with 1,304 digs. This season, she leads the Flashes with a career-high 3.93 kills per set and is second on team at 3.32 digs per set.
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.
2017 VOLLEYBALL FINALISTS
Kelsey Bittinger, Kent State
Ashley Dusek, Kentucky
Lily Johnson, Missouri State
Jaelyn Keene, Illinois State
Simone Lee, Penn State
Abbie Lehman, Wichita State
Jessica Lucas, Western Kentucky
Mary-Kate Marshall, Oregon State
Katie Staiger, Baylor
Haleigh Washington, Penn State
