Olivia Babcock, a two-time national player of the year for the University of Pittsburgh, was named a finalist for the 2025 AAU Sullivan Award. The honor is presented annually to the most outstanding collegiate or Olympic athlete in the United States.
The award has been presented since 1930 and is named after James E. Sullivan, a pioneer in amateur sports and former president of the Amateur Athletic Union. Babcock, who was previously a semifinalist for the honor, joins an elite group of athletes representing various sports across the country.
Public voting to determine the winner begins Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. and concludes March 5, 2026. Babcock is part of a finalist group that includes Fernando Mendoza, Cameron Boozer, Ilia Malinin, Ilona Maher, Azzi Fudd and Alysa Liu. If selected, Babcock would be the fourth volleyball player to receive the award. Previous winners from the sport include Lexi Rodriguez of Nebraska in 2025, Kathryn Plummer of Stanford in 2018 and Lauren Carlini of Wisconsin in 2016.
Babcock’s selection follows a record-breaking 2025 campaign where she totaled 646 kills. This performance broke the previous Pitt single-season program record of 555 kills, which was established by Wendy Hatlestad in 2003. The standout hitter also set the program record for kills in a single match on two separate occasions during the 2025 season. She recorded 41 kills in a victory over Louisville and later reached 45 kills in a match against North Carolina.
Babcock has earned several major honors during her career, including being named the 2024 and 2025 AVCA National Player of the Year. She is also a two-time CWSA Honda Award winner for volleyball and was named the ACC Player of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year. As a core part of the Pittsburgh offense, Babcock has led the Panthers to the National Semifinals in each of her three collegiate seasons. She has been named the Pittsburgh Regional Most Outstanding Player every year of her career.
Public voting will end at 11:59 p.m. on March 5, 2026. The top finalists will be honored at an award ceremony on April 7, 2026, at the New York Athletic Club.
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