Dilfer, Leon Selected as Nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year
July 14, 2022 | General, Women's Volleyball, Academic Services, Track & Field
The University of Louisville's Tori Dilfer and Gabriela Leon have been selected as institutional nominees for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Dilfer (Volleyball) and Leon (Track and Field) are among 577 student-athletes across the nation who have been nominated by NCAA member schools for the award which honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes.
Tori Dilfer
In 2021, Tori Dilfer was named as UofL's first-ever AVCA First Team All-American as well as being a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for volleyball. She was named MVP of the NCAA All-Louisville Regional team and to the AVCA First Team All-East Region. She was named the East Region Player of the Year and ACC Setter of the Year and to the All-ACC First Team.
She led every match against top 25 opponents in assists and was a US Collegiate National Team Member in 2021. Dilfer ranked No. 24 in Asst/set (10.79) and No. 76 Total Assts (1,165). Louisville's No. 4 ranked hitting percentage (.300) can be credited to her savvy setting. She had 14 matches where she had serving runs of more than 5 points including a season-high 9 straight against Clemson. She had 23 aces including 7 matches with 2 or more and was named to All-Cardinal Invitational. Her setting percentage was .440 and she recorded at least one block in all but five matches with season high four vs. Pitt, UIC, Florida, Georgia Tech. She was voted as Team Captain by her teammates.
In 2020, Tori was named the ACC Setter of the Year and First Team All-ACC. She was named to the AVCA All-East Region First Team and was an AVCA Third Team All-American. In 2019, Dilfer was named NCAA All-Texas Region for helming the team's first Cinderella run to the Elite Eight.
Gabriela Leon
The Grand Rapids, Michigan native recently completed an outstanding career at the University of Louisville. This year, Leon became the program's first women's track and field outdoor national champion when she cleared 4.60m (15' 1") to win the pole vault at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships. With the effort Leon became the fourth-ever collegiate women's pole vaulter with three clearances of 4.60m (15' 1") and the only one this season with three over 4.57m (15' 0") in collegiate competition.
Additionally, Leon captured her second straight ACC women's outdoor pole vault title and was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year, the ACC Women's Outdoor Field Performer of the Year as well as the league's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Leon was named ACC Women's Field Performer of the Week three times in 2022 and recorded a first-place finish in seven of eight outdoor meets including seven straight wins since the season opener. She set the outdoor school record of 4.61m (15' 1") at the Clark Wood Invitational.
An ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and a five-time Louisville Dean's Scholar, Leon graduated from Louisville with a degree in Exercise Science and a career GPA of 3.83. She earned a 4.0 GPA in both the fall and spring semesters of the most recent academic year and was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. Leon also a 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar of the Year recipient by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
Leon currently stands at No. 19 in the World Athletics Women's Pole Vault rankings, meeting the entry standard to compete in the 2022 World Championships on July 15.
About the NCAA Woman of Year
Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. This year's nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 248 from Division I, 127 from Division II and 202 from Division III. Of the 577 nominations, 23 sports are represented, with 125 student-athletes competing in multiple sports.
Each year, NCAA member schools are encouraged to celebrate their top graduating female student-athletes by nominating them for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The conference offices will then select up to two student-athletes from their member school nominations. The Woman of the Year Selection Committee will then select 10 student-athletes from each division, determining the Top 30 honorees.
For more information click here.
Dilfer (Volleyball) and Leon (Track and Field) are among 577 student-athletes across the nation who have been nominated by NCAA member schools for the award which honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes.
Tori Dilfer
In 2021, Tori Dilfer was named as UofL's first-ever AVCA First Team All-American as well as being a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for volleyball. She was named MVP of the NCAA All-Louisville Regional team and to the AVCA First Team All-East Region. She was named the East Region Player of the Year and ACC Setter of the Year and to the All-ACC First Team.
She led every match against top 25 opponents in assists and was a US Collegiate National Team Member in 2021. Dilfer ranked No. 24 in Asst/set (10.79) and No. 76 Total Assts (1,165). Louisville's No. 4 ranked hitting percentage (.300) can be credited to her savvy setting. She had 14 matches where she had serving runs of more than 5 points including a season-high 9 straight against Clemson. She had 23 aces including 7 matches with 2 or more and was named to All-Cardinal Invitational. Her setting percentage was .440 and she recorded at least one block in all but five matches with season high four vs. Pitt, UIC, Florida, Georgia Tech. She was voted as Team Captain by her teammates.
In 2020, Tori was named the ACC Setter of the Year and First Team All-ACC. She was named to the AVCA All-East Region First Team and was an AVCA Third Team All-American. In 2019, Dilfer was named NCAA All-Texas Region for helming the team's first Cinderella run to the Elite Eight.
Gabriela Leon
The Grand Rapids, Michigan native recently completed an outstanding career at the University of Louisville. This year, Leon became the program's first women's track and field outdoor national champion when she cleared 4.60m (15' 1") to win the pole vault at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships. With the effort Leon became the fourth-ever collegiate women's pole vaulter with three clearances of 4.60m (15' 1") and the only one this season with three over 4.57m (15' 0") in collegiate competition.
Additionally, Leon captured her second straight ACC women's outdoor pole vault title and was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Outdoor Women's Field Athlete of the Year, the ACC Women's Outdoor Field Performer of the Year as well as the league's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Leon was named ACC Women's Field Performer of the Week three times in 2022 and recorded a first-place finish in seven of eight outdoor meets including seven straight wins since the season opener. She set the outdoor school record of 4.61m (15' 1") at the Clark Wood Invitational.
An ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and a five-time Louisville Dean's Scholar, Leon graduated from Louisville with a degree in Exercise Science and a career GPA of 3.83. She earned a 4.0 GPA in both the fall and spring semesters of the most recent academic year and was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. Leon also a 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar of the Year recipient by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
Leon currently stands at No. 19 in the World Athletics Women's Pole Vault rankings, meeting the entry standard to compete in the 2022 World Championships on July 15.
About the NCAA Woman of Year
Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. This year's nominees represent all three NCAA divisions, including 248 from Division I, 127 from Division II and 202 from Division III. Of the 577 nominations, 23 sports are represented, with 125 student-athletes competing in multiple sports.
Each year, NCAA member schools are encouraged to celebrate their top graduating female student-athletes by nominating them for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The conference offices will then select up to two student-athletes from their member school nominations. The Woman of the Year Selection Committee will then select 10 student-athletes from each division, determining the Top 30 honorees.
For more information click here.
