University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Olivia Babcock Named Back-To-Back Honda Award Winner for Volleyball
1/21/2026 2:00:00 PM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – For the second straight year, Olivia Babcock has been named the Honda Sport Award Winner for volleyball, announced by The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) on Wednesday. Each Honda Sports Award winner is recognized as the top collegiate female athlete in her sport, and the award is considered by many as one of the highest honors a female college athlete can receive in the nation. Babcock is only the fifth volleyball player in CWSA history to be named a two-time Sport Award Winner.
The year 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the award, which is presented annually by the CWSA to the nation's top female athletes across 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, honoring "the best of the best in collegiate athletics." The 12 Honda Cup finalists will travel to New York City for the award presentation, airing on CBS Sports Network on Monday, July 27 at 7 p.m. ET.
Babcock has now captured every major award she has been in contention for over the past two years, including AVCA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, and the Honda Sport Award. She is the only student-athlete in Pitt history to earn three AVCA First Team All-America honors and was named the Pittsburgh Regional Most Outstanding Player for a third straight season after leading the Panthers to their fifth consecutive National Semifinal.
The CWSA has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs.
