COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 4, 2018) – Rhamat Alhassan stayed busy on the volleyball court in 2017, both with the University of Florida and the U.S. Women’s National Team.
For her efforts, Alhassan was named the Honda Sports Award winner as the top collegiate volleyball player in the country. The honor is presented by THE Collegiate Women Sports Award.
Alhassan has played with the U.S. Women’s National Team the past two summers. She helped the U.S. Women win gold at the Pan American Cup in June 2017. She tallied 54 points in the tournament, including nine points in the title match against Dominican Republic.
Alhassan returned to college in the fall and sparked the University of Florida to the runner-up finish in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. The AVCA selected Alhassan to its All-America First-Team for the second time as she became a four-time All-American. Alhassan also earned the 2017 SEC Player of the Year.
“I was definitely surprised (when I was told) that I received the award,” Alhassan said in a CWSA release announcing the honor. “I might be the person being recognized, but it speaks volumes about my coaches, support staff, my teammates and Gator Nation. No part of this award was achieved individually. It took a family to get this accomplishment.”
Alhassan led the nation in blocks per set (1.70) and is one of two NCAA Division I players since 2010 to average at least 1.70 blocks per set and hit above .355. She tied for the seventh-highest career hitting efficiency (.423) in Division I history.
“Few players leave a mark on a program or a school like Rhamat has at Florida,” Florida Head Coach Mary Wise said. “The commitment shown to her education, her teammates, and her volleyball is unparalleled. She is the ideal role model for every young girl who aspires to compete in college.”
Alhassan was chosen for the award by a vote of administrations from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Penn State’s Simone Lee and Haleigh Washington, and Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer. All four players have been a part of the USA Volleyball High Performance pipeline.