Tori Dilfer from the University of Louisville, Logan Eggleston of the University of Texas, Dana Retake from the University of Wisconsin and Stephanie Samedy from the University of Minnesota are the four finalists for the Class of 2022 Honda Sport Award for Volleyball as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today. 

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 46 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”.  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2022 Honda Cup which will be presented on a telecast on CBS Sports Network.

The volleyball finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The Honda Sport award winner for volleyball will be announced later this week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.  

Dilfer is a 2021 AVCA First-Team All-American and led her team to the semifinals of the 2021 NCAA Championship. The graduate student from Los Gatos, Calif., was twice named the ACC Setter of the Year and All-ACC First-Team. She led her team to a perfect regular season and second ACC Championship and helped command the offense to rank fourth nationally in hitting percentage (.300).

Eggleston, an outside hitter from Brentwood, Tenn., is a two-time Honda Sport Award finalist for volleyball and a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year. She earned AVCA All-America First-Team honors for the last two seasons and is a four-time All-American overall. The junior led the Big 12 with 5.34 points per set and 0.49 service aces per set and finished second in the league in kills (4.57).

Rettke has been a finalist for the Honda Sport Award for volleyball for the last three years and is the first five-time AVCA First-Team All-American in AVCA history. Recently, she was named the 2021 AVCA National Player of the Year and led her program to its first National Championships title. The middle blocker from Riverside, Ill., set the program’s all-time blocking record (751) and points record (2333.0) and best career hitting percentage at UW (.418).

Samedy, hailing from Clermont, Fla., is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and a two-time finalist for Honda Sport Award. She earned four AVCA First-Team All-American honors and is a five-time All-American overall. The rightside hitter finished her career ranked No. 1 all-time in matches played (145), No. 4 in kills (2,026) and No. 6 in digs (1,538) and is the first Gopher and second player in Big Ten history to record 2,000 kills and 1,500 digs in her career.

The CWSA, entering its 46th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.  

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on improving children’s health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.