NEW YORK - Two-time AVCA National Player of the Year Kathryn Plummer has been selected the winner of the 89th AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
Plummer becomes the second women's volleyball player to receive the honor, joining Wisconsin's Lauren Carlini (2016).
"I would like to thank my family, I couldn't have gotten to this point without you guys," said Plummer after receiving the award at the New York Athletic Club. "Thank you for coming to every game and being my biggest cheerleaders. You are my biggest role models and I owe you everything.
"Thank you to everyone who voted, across the country and the world. Thank you to Stanford, Kevin [Hambly}, all my coaches and professors for molding me into the person and player I am today. And finally, thank you to the AAU and the New York Athletic Club for holding this event and allowing me to meet some of the coolest people. These are the best athletes in the country, but they are also so cool, so smart, so hardworking and so funny. I've really enjoyed getting to meet them and continue the relationships."
On top of winning a second NCAA championship in 2018, Plummer was named the AVCA Player of the Year, espnW Player of the Year, Pac-12 Player of the Year and AVCA Pacific North Region Player of the Year for the second straight season. She also took home the Honda Sport Award for Volleyball and was the VolleyballMag.com Player of the Year. The junior earned AVCA All-America first team honors for the third straight season, and garnered VolleyballMag.com All-America First Team, AVCA All-Pacific North Region First Team, All-Pac-12 Conference and NCAA All-Tournament Team, including Co-Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Plummer was one of eight finalists for the prestigious honor. The other finalists were Nebraska's Mikaela Foecke (women's volleyball), UCLA's Rachel Garcia (softball), Texas's Townley Haas (men's swimming), LSU's Aleia Hobbs (women's track and field), USAG's Morgan Hurd (women's gymnastics), North Carolina's Luke Maye (men's basketball) and UCF's McKenzie Milton (football).
"Looking at the former winners, it is extremely humbling to be up here," added Plummer. "I'm looking forward to the future. I can't wait to be a role model for young girls. I'm really excited and I thank you all so much."
The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930. World renowned golfer Robert "Bobby" Jones received the inaugural award in 1930 and swimmer Anne Curtis became the first female to accept the award in 1944.