NCAA Release
FAIRFAX, Va. – Two extraordinary ambassadors for George Mason University have been nominated for one of the most prestigious honors in collegiate athletics.
On Tuesday,
Bailey Williams (women's volleyball) and Shannon Glesing (women's swimming and diving) were both announced as nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. They were two of just 15 student-athlete nominees from the Atlantic 10 Conference.
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 30th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
A four-year starter for the Patriots,
Bailey Williams graduated with a communications degree with a concentration in media production and criticism.
The Royal Palm Beach, Fla. native was the 2019 Sue Collins Leadership Award honoree. She served as SAAC Vice President for the 2018-19 academic year. Bailey attended the Winning Edge Leadership Academy, which develops the next generation of women and minority leaders in sports in 2019.
The outside hitter earned Atlantic 10 Second Team All-Conference accolades for her athletic performance in 2018. She was named team MVP in 2019, leading the team in kills per set (2.89), good for eighth in the A-10, and finishing second on the squad in digs per set (3.12). She recorded 12 double-digit kill performances and seven double-doubles in 2019. She finished her career with 961 kills, 970 digs, 129 blocks and 85 service aces.
Shannon Glesing graduated with a degree in government & international politics and a minor in political communication. She served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, a liaison between the main Mason student government and the athletic department.
As one of the most highly accomplished student-athletes at Mason, Glesing has been a recipient of the 2020 Sue Collins Leadership Award, Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar-Athlete, the OrthoVirginia Student Achiever Award, member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll, and the George Mason Dean's List, as well as athletics endowed scholarship.
Glesing has been instrumental in bringing various organizations to attend student-athlete events and also works as an RA for the university. She represents the best Mason offers, both in the pool, classroom, and the greater Mason community.
In the pool, Glesing recorded three top-three finishes during the 2019-20 season. She posted season-best times in the 50-yard freestyle (23.98), 100-yard freestyle (52.77) and 100-yard breaststroke at the Patriot Invitational Nov. 21-23, 2019. The Indianapolis, Ind., native placed 11th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.62) and 33rd in the 50-yard freestyle (24.03) at the Atlantic 10 Championships Feb. 19-22, 2020 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
The league's Senior Woman Administrators will vote on 15 of the nominees to select two who will represent the Atlantic 10 Conference as 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists.
After the Atlantic 10 and all other leagues have selected up to two conference nominees, the Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then 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. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year from those nine. The top 30 honorees will be recognized, and the 2020 Woman of the Year will be announced, on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020.
