STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford senior outside hitter Jordan Burgess was one of 10 women’s volleyball student-athletes selected as finalists for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate volleyball it was announced Friday.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in September. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through December 7. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award recipient will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in December.
Burgess, a native of Fort Myers, Florida, is a two-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2014. She is a three-time All-Pac-12 Conference selection and has twice been named to the AVCA AlL-Pacific North Region team. During the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament she registered her 1,000th career kill, becoming just the ninth Stanford player to amass 1,000 career kills and digs. She is also a two-time Volleyball Magazine second-team All-American.
Burgess is a human biology major at Stanford with a 3.62 GPA. She was named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team in 2014. A Capital One/CoSIDA All-District VIII First Team selection, Burgess is also a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention pick.
Burgess and the entire women’s volleyball team have twice been awarded with Stanford Athletics’ Thomas W. Ford Award which is given to the team whose student-athletes demonstrate a special commitment to participation in local community outreach programs. Burgess has volunteered in classrooms at an elementary school that teaches both Spanish- and English-speaking students. She has promoted fitness and self-esteem for at-risk kids at the Wender Weis Children’s Champions event. She has also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto, practiced with local sitting volleyball players, interacted with residents of a Shelter Network home by painting, baking and sorting clothes, and volunteered with BAWSI.
No. 7 Stanford plays host to No. 19 Arizona tonight, wrapping-up a four-match homestand. The Cardinal then hits the road for four straight, starting at Oregon on Nov. 5.
Senior CLASS Award Finalists
Morgan Bergren, Kentucky
Jordan Burgess, Stanford
Kierra Holst, Oklahoma
Molly McCage, Texas
Taylor Morey, Wisconsin
Paige Neuenfeldt, North Carolina
Amanda Orchard, Pittsburgh
Cassie Strickland, Washington
Shelby Sullivan, Texas A&M
Nicole Walch, Florida State