Nebraska volleyball student-athlete Lauren Stivrins has been named one of 30 semifinalists for the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) announced Monday.
The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Representatives from the AAU created the Sullivan Award with the intent to recognize amateur contributions and achievements from non-professional athletes across the country. Former Husker standout Mikaela Foecke was a finalist for the award in 2015-16 and again in 2018-19, and other former Huskers Kelsey Robinson, Annika Albrecht and Kelly Hunter have all been finalists in the last seven years.
Fan voting is open to the public at https://aausports.wyng.com/AAUSullivanAwardSemifinalists. Fans can vote once per day through March 13 and finalists will be announced next week. The award ceremony will be held April 21 at the New York Athletic Club.
Stivrins has proven herself to be one of the best middle blockers in college volleyball over the last three seasons. A two-time AVCA All-American, Stivrins led the Huskers to an NCAA Championship in 2017, a runner-up finish in 2018 and another regional final appearance in 2019. Entering her senior season, Stivrins has twice been selected to the All-Big Ten First Team, and off the court she is a Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection and Tom Osborne Citizenship Team member for her community service work. Stivrins was at her best in the 2018 NCAA Championship match against Stanford, producing 19 kills on .615 hitting. Stivrins ranks second in school history in the rally scoring era with a career .369 hitting percentage.
