Taylor Reiss, a senior outside hitter from the Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team, was named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.

Reiss will be presented with this honor on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 24, 2019, (6 pm PT /9 pm EST) in the Founders’ Room at the Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California in downtown Los, Angeles.  The honor was voted on by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the CWSA program, now in its 43rd year.

“I am incredibly grateful and humbled to have been selected to receive the Honda Division II athlete of the year award,” said Reiss. “I would not have been able to reach all the successes I have throughout my volleyball career without my teammates and coaches. Volleyball is the ultimate team sport and I could not have done it without the people standing next to me on and off the court.”

“I want to thank my family, friends, and the community of Marshall for all of the support I have received throughout my college volleyball career, it has truly meant a lot to me. I will forever cherish my time spent at SMSU and all the great memories I have. I am honored to be able to end my volleyball career on a high note and to have been selected to receive this prestigious award.”

Hailing from Taunton, Minn., she is a two-time AVCA DII National Player of the Year and the first-ever National Player of the Year at SMSU. She is also a two-time DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for volleyball and a three-time first-team AVCA and CCA All-American...She is the first player in conference history to three-peat as the NSIC Player of the Year.

On the season, she ranked first in Division II in kills (664), points per set (6.42) and kills per set (5.72) and ranked second in attacks per set (14.45).

Off the court, she is a three-time NSIC All-Academic honoree and a 2018 Second-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American as an exercise science major.

“It is a significant honor for Honda to recognize Taylor Reiss as the winner of the prestigious DII Honda Athlete of the Year,” said SMSU head coach Terry Culhane. “Taylor’s career speaks for itself and is one of a few who have been selected as the AVCA National Player of the Year two years in a row as well as a three-year winner of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference player of the year. Taylor is an exceptional athlete and has left her mark on Mustang volleyball forever.”

The CWSA, in its 43rd year, honors the nation’s top NCAA women athletes recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.3 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions. 

About Honda

Honda seeks to be a company that society wants to exist, creating products and technologies that improve the lives of people while minimizing the environmental impacts of its products and business operations to ensure a sustainable future.

Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda’s involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work.

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/