Olivia Babcock, a junior from the University of Pittsburgh, has been named the Honda Sport Award winner for Volleyball for the second consecutive year, as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).

The announcement comes during a landmark moment for the organization, as the CWSA celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2025–26 collegiate athletics season. For five decades, the Honda Sport Award has honored the nation’s top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, symbolizing “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” Babcock is now a finalist for the prestigious Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and Class of 2026 Honda Cup, to be presented live on Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

Babcock was selected via a nationwide vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. The other finalists for this year’s award were Mimi Colyer (Wisconsin), Eva Hudson (Kentucky) and Bergen Reilly (Nebraska).

“I’m so honored for another opportunity to be surrounded by some of the top athletes in the country,” said Babcock. “It’s a privilege to be represented among this group, and I’m really excited to be back this year!.”

Babcock, a Class of 2025 Top Three honoree, is now a two-time Honda Award winner for volleyball and has established herself as one of the most dominant players in collegiate volleyball history.

A native of Los Angeles, Calif., the rightside hitter is a two-time AVCA National Player of the Year and was named the 2025 AVCA Opposite of the Year, adding to an already remarkable résumé that includes three AVCA First Team All-America selections. She went on to claim ACC Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive year, while also being named to the ACC First Team All-Conference three times. Her excellence extended regionally as well, earning two AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year awards and three selections to the AVCA East Coast Region First Team.

A key force behind Pitt’s sustained national success, Babcock helped lead the Panthers to the NCAA Championship semifinals for the fifth consecutive season and was named NCAA Regional Most Valuable Player three times. During her standout campaign, she averaged career highs of 5.17 kills per set, ranking fifth nationally, and 2.09 digs per set, while setting a program record with 646 total kills. Nationally, she ranked third in total kills, second in total points (746.5), and fourth in points per set (5.97).

Babcock’s season was highlighted by multiple record-breaking performances, including twice surpassing the program’s single-match kills record, most recently with a remarkable 45-kill outing. She was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week five times and matched her athletic success with excellence in the classroom, earning All-ACC Academic Team honors twice.

“It’s not easy to do anything back-to-back at this level,” said head coach Dan Fisher. “We shouldn’t get used to Olivia earning these kinds of awards, but we do. Being named the Honda Sport Award winner is a huge honor and a true reflection of the standard she sets every day.”

As the CWSA marks its 50th anniversary, the organization continues its longstanding mission to honor excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since 1986, Honda has contributed more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to support women’s athletics programs nationwide.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation 

For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.  

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.