University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Olivia Babcock Named Winner Of Prestigious Bob Prince Award
7/27/2026 10:01:00 AM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt volleyball star Olivia Babcock has been named the winner of the prestigious Bob Prince Award, presented annually to an individual who embodies the characteristics of the late Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Bob "The Gunner" Prince and his legendary enthusiasm for Pittsburgh sports and the community. It encompasses outstanding achievement in athletics or sports broadcasting, enthusiasm for Pittsburgh sport and dedication to the Pittsburgh community through service and philanthropy.
The award has been presented each year since 1986 (excluding 2006 and 2021) and Babcock will be honored at the 53rd Art Rooney Award Dinner in Acrisure Stadium's UPMC Lounge on Sept. 29. She is the first female winner in the history of the award.
Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown was the 2025 recipient of the award and past winners include legendary Pittsburgh athletes such as Andrew McCutcheon, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Rocky Bleier, Joe Greene, Jack Ham and others. Previous winners with ties to the University of Pittsburgh include Damar Hamlin, James Conner, Jamie Dixon, Johnny Majors, Bill Hillgrove and others.
Babcock is one of the most decorated student-athletes in University of Pittsburgh history through the first three years of her career. She is a two-time AVCA National Player of the Year, a two-time ESPY nominee for best college athlete in women's sports, the 2025-26 ACC Female Athlete of the Year, the 2023 AVCA National Freshman of the Year and a three-time first team All-American. In competition, Pitt's volleyball team has gone 92-12 in her first three years and advanced to the NCAA national semifinal in each of her seasons of competition.
Along with the awards and team recognition, Babcock is the program's single-season record holder in kills, kills per set, attacks, attacks per set and service aces. She ranks fifth in career kills at Pitt with 1,604, trailing the program record holder by 248 kills. In 2025, she twice broke the single match program kills record, posting 41 against Louisville and then 45 against North Carolina.
