2018 NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

SAN DIEGO – Maya Hood and Kristen Gengenbacher have been nominated for the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year award, it was announced recently.

Gengenbacher (volleyball) and Hood (women's basketball) earned nominations by distinguishing themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

Gengenbacher helped lead her team to their 10th conference title in program history this past season and earned AVCA All-America honors – becoming the second Torero setter in program history to earn the recognition.

Gengenbacher was also honored for her work in the classroom, being named to the WCC All-Academic Team and to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. She graduated this past spring as a double-major in communication studies and theology and religious studies. Gengenbacher will continue her education at Washington as she pursues a master's degree and competes for the school's beach volleyball team.

Hood completed her career as one of the most accomplished Toreros in program history. She is the all-time leader in rebounds, offensive rebounds and steals, and ranks among the top-four in six additional categories.

Hood was the 2015-16 WCC Defender of the Year and a two-time second-team All-WCC selection. She averaged 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, and shot 47 percent from the field during her career.

She was successful in the classroom as well and was selected to the 2017-18 WCC All-Academic team and graduated this past spring with a master's degree in leadership studies. She plans on pursuing a professional basketball career in Europe.

NCAA member schools nominated a record 581 female college athletes for the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year award. The award was established in 1991 to honor graduating student-athletes who have excelled in all facets of collegiate athletics.

Conferences now will select up to two nominees each from the pool of school nominees. Then, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division.

From the Top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine.

The Top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 28 in Indianapolis.