May 30, 2000
Stanford, Calif. -- Stanford sophomore Marissa Irvin (Santa Monica, CA) has been named the 2000 recipient of the Honda Sports Award for tennis, voted by selected NCAA athletic directors. Irvin is now automatically nominated for the the Honda-Broderick Cup to be presented to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year on June 12 in Orlando, Fla.
Irvin concluded her second season on The Farm as the Pac-10 Player of the Year with a 28-3 record and a second consecutive runner-up finish at the NCAA Singles Championship. She helped the Cardinal conclude the regular-season with a 25-0 record and its 13th-consecutive Pac-10 Championship. The Cardinal placed second in the NCAA Team Championship and finished the year with a 30-1 record, only the second 30-win season in the program's history.
Besides collegiate competition, Irvin has spent time on the WTA Professional Tour where she has won two tournaments and raised her singles ranking to a career-high No. 78.
Irvin is the eighth Stanford tennis player to be a recipient of the Honda Award and the first since Lilia Osterloh earned the honor in 1997.