ELON, N.C. – Elon University volleyball's Isabella Seman has been selected as a candidate for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award. She is one of 30 NCAA women's volleyball student-athletes in the running for the award.
 
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award was created in 2001 as a unique award that honors NCAA Division I seniors who remain committed to their university and elect to pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an DI senior and have notable achievements in four C's of community, classroom, character and competition.
 
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later this month, 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 areas of excellence. 
 
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in April.
 
A senior from Pittsburgh, Pa., Seman is an anchor and reporter for Elon News Network, is a Local News intern for ABC11-WTVD, and covered the 2020 Iowa caucuses as part of her 2020 January term. Additionally, the broadcast journalism major works with the Elon Athletics Marketing Department as the emcee during home men's and women's basketball games. She is on track to add a minor in political science and holds a 3.34 grade point average entering the 2021 spring semester. She has been named to the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll multiple times.
 
She is also a co-founder of the Hope Happens Here! chapter at Elon, a mental health awareness foundation dedicated to fighting the negative stigma surrounding mental illness on college campuses. An ambassador group, they help student-athletes know their resources for their mental health.
 
"From the moment we started recruiting Bella, we could tell she had very strong leadership skills," said head coach Mary Tendler. "Our program has greatly benefited from that. She gets extra reps in the gym whenever possible, and her exceptional
communication skills and work ethic make everyone around her better."
 
On the court, Seman has been a team captain as a junior and senior. She led Elon in the 2019 season with 323 digs (3.33/set) and was second on the team with 25 service aces. She played in 25 matches and appeared in 97 sets, helping the Phoenix to its best mark in league play since joining the CAA in 2014. Seman recorded double-digit digs in five straight CAA matches, highlighted by a 21-dig outing in a 3-2 win over Delaware. She also helped guide Elon to its first CAA Championship semifinal
appearance after an opening-round, five-set upset over fourth-seeded Northeastern.
 
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

2020-21 Senior CLASS Award Volleyball Candidates
Whitney Brown, Robert Morris University
Alli Lowe, Colgate University
Camille Conner, Texas A&M University
Elizaveta Lukianova, University of Miami
Gabby Curry, University of Kentucky
Mac May, University of California, LA
Ciara Debell, Marshall University
Meghan McClure, Stanford University
Kylie Deberg, University of Missouri
Chinaza Ndee, University of Pittsburgh
Nadia Dieudonne, Western Kentucky University
Caitlyn Newton, Purdue University
Dani Drews, University of Utah
Regan Pittman, University of Minnesota
Melissa Evans, North Carolina State University
Yossiana Pressley, Baylor University
Thana Fayad, University of San Diego
Stephanie Samedy, University of Minnesota
Emma Granger, Robert Morris University
Lauren Sanders, University of Washington
Paige Hammons, University of Florida
Isabella Seman, Elon University
Stef Jankiewicz, Illinois State University
Avery Skinner, University of Kentucky
Kenzie Koerber, University of Utah
Jamie Smith, Iona College
Nicole Lennon, Rice University
Erika Ward, Bryant University
Madison Lilley, University of Kentucky
Anne-Marie Watson, University of Central Florida