Bethune-Cookman senior Krysta Gardner is one of 30 NCAA Division I volleyball student-athletes from across the national selected as a candidate for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award for collegiate volleyball.
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 to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
An outside hitter from Ashburn, Va., Gardner is among 16 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans from last season up for the award. She is one 24 candidates with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
Gardner is 22 kills away from becoming the second Bethune-Cookman player in program history to reach the 1,000 career kill mark. She was named a All-MEAC first team selection in 2011 and was a preseason first team selection this season.
The candidate class will be narrowed from 30 to 10 finalists midway through the regular season. After nation-wide balloting, the winners will be announced during the 2012 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship December 13-15 in Louisville, Kentucky.
For more information, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
Senior CLASS Award candidates (volleyball): Lesli Akeo, Siena; Andrea Beck, Wake Forest; Alaina Bergsma, Oregon; Megan Bober, Creighton; Amy Braun, Northern Iowa; Danielle Carlson, Marquette; Karissa Cook, Stanford; Dana Cranston, Colorado State; Kasey Elswick, Tennessee-Martin; Ashley Frazier, Kentucky; Katie Fuller, Southern California; Krysta Gardner, Bethune-Cookman; Christiana Gray, Duke; Andrea Hannasch, San Diego State; Altrese Hawkins, Memphis; Rachel Iaquaniello, Eastern Michigan; Rachael Kidder, UCLA; Faimie Kingsley, Denver; Rachel Krabacher, Dayton; Alison Landwehr, Iowa State; Gina Mancuso, Nebraska; Lindsey Miller, Texas A&M; Jodi Purdy, Wyoming; Taylor Root, Valparaiso; Robin Rostratter, California; Sam Serley, UAB; Jamie Straube, Iowa State; Ariel Turner, Purdue; Kate Van Dyke, Georgia Southern; Breanne Van Every, Idaho State.