INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – 2016 Pace University graduate
Rebecca Italiano (Lynbrook, NY/East Rockaway), a four-year member of the Pace University women's volleyball team, has been selected as Pace's representative for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, as announced by the NCAA on Tuesday.
Italiano is part of the largest pool of school honorees in the 26-year history of the award, consisting of 517 nominees across all three divisions. She is one of 117 representatives from Division II institutions.
Italiano had a standout senior campaign. She led the Northeast-10 Conference with 6.14 digs per set, which also ranked her fifth in all of Division II. Her 663 digs were second in the conference, and also stand second in Pace's single-season history. Italiano finished her career with 1,623 digs, placing her fifth all-time in Pace volleyball history.
Italiano earned a spot on the 2015 Northeast-10 All-Conference Second Team, as well as the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Star Second Team. She was a three-time ECAC Libero of the Week, and once named NE-10 Libero of the Week. The senior set a career-high with 47 digs vs. Chestnut Hill in 2015, tying for the second-most digs in a five-set match in all of Division II this year.
Italiano also represented Pace as its Northeast-10 Conference Woman of the Year candidate, as well as Pace's NE-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominee. She graduated from Pace with a 3.47 GPA in her major of Childhood Education. Italiano was a seven-time Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll member, and was named to the Dean's List three times.
Italiano has also been very involved in community service over her four years at Pace. She has been involved in Relay for Life for all four years at Pace, as well as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk. Italiano was also a volunteer at the Mary Brennan Inn Soup Kitchen during her senior year. She has also participated in events for Read Across America and Jumprope for Heart.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
For all information regarding Pace University Women's Volleyball, log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow
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@PaceVolleyball).
