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I don't often make appeals for votes for Kentucky players, but Ashley Frazier is special for two reasons -- One, minor sports like volleyball do not get nearly enough attention on this blog, and I feel guilty about that. Second, Ashley is the first player in the history of Kentucky Wildcats volleyball to be nominated for the award. So go vote for her here. Do it now, please.
In Kentucky, we have a proud history of sports partisanship, particularly in basketball. Sometimes, though, we forget the other sports like volleyball and soccer, particularly women's sports, that perform at very high levels but get little recognition. This blog is as guilty as anyone of overlooking those wonderful achievements, and when they are brought to my attention, I intend to try my best to help.
Back to Ashley. Here is the Herald-Leader's story:
Senior Kentucky volleyball player Ashley Frazier is among 10 national finalists for the Senior CLASS award it was announced by the organization Friday morning. She is the first player in program history to earn recognition as one of the 10 finalists.
Ten NCAA women’s volleyball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court were selected as finalists. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
From the CLASS award page, here is a summary of her qualifications:
- 3.9 GPA in Business Administration in Management & Marketing. She has already earned her bachelor's degree, and will begin her MBA in the fall.
- Four-time All-SEC Academic team member.
- Captain of the volleyball team
- Worked in the community with animal shelters, nursing homes, children's hospitals, God's Pantry, homeless shelters, and an initiative that provides presents to underprivileged children at Christmas
- 2011 All-Regional Tournament team, two-time All-SEC team member. Led UK with 3.22 kills per set as a junior and had 10 or more kills in more than 25 matches. In 2012, Frazier became the 15th player in school history to reach the 1,000 career kills mark
There is more, of course, and you can read it all at the link above. If you haven't already voted for her above, please follow this link and do your part.