RICHARDSON, Texas – Sul Ross State graduate and volleyball/softball standout Annika Canaba has been named the 2020-21 American Southwest Conference Woman of the Year and will represent the ASC on the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year award ballot.

A total of 535 women across the all three divisions were nominated for the award. A total of 177 were from Division III.

Canaba is the first student-athlete from Sul Ross State, seventh softball player and fourth volleyball player from the ASC to be nominated by the conference.

The Alpine, TX native was the 2020-21 ASC West Division Player of the Year in volleyball and was the 2018 Freshman of the Year. She earned All-Conference three times in volleyball and twice in softball. Canaba served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was Sul Ross' 2021 ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor recipient. 

Canaba graduated with a GPA of 3.82 in Kinesiology.

"Being a student athlete on both the volleyball and softball teams at Sul Ross State University has been a critical part of my journey and has helped shape me into the person that I am today," said Canaba. "I know how privileged I am to have been afforded the opportunity to play sports at the collegiate level and I never take that for granted. Representing SRSU has provided me a platform to exhibit my leadership skills, strong work habits and my dedication to inclusivity that sets the example for my fellow athletes. As a student-athlete, campus leader, and active community member, I strive to make lasting contributions to the community that helped raise me. I am active in my church community, and I volunteer my time at sports camp to encourage young female athletes to have confidence and be the best they can be on and off the court/field. I want them to see their reflection in me and to know that they can experience my same successes, if they are willing to work hard."

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Canaba played softball and volleyball concurrently in 2021.

"What an honor it is to have the ASC Woman of the Year named from Sul Ross," said Athletic Director Amanda Workman. "Annika is such a great representative of SRSU! Even with the added challenge of competing as a dual sport athlete, she shines on the field, the court and in the classroom. This spring brought the extra challenge of competing in two sports simultaneously and she handled them with such grace. Her values, character, work ethic, competitiveness, attitude, academic and athletic achievements are incredible. I am so thankful to have Annika on our teams."

In volleyball, she was named West Division Most Valuable Player, First Team All-Conference and All-West Division First Team in 2021 after recording 3.23 kills, 3.58 assists and 2.50 digs per set while hitting .304 with 25 aces and 18 blocks. She also led the nation with five triple-doubles. It's Canaba's second time on the All-Conference Team after being named to it in 2019. She is now a three-time All-West Division after being named to the first team in 2019 and second team in 2018. Canaba was also named ASC West Freshman of the Year in 2018. Canaba was a two-time ASC West Offensive Player of the Week in 2021.

In softball, Canaba was named First Team All-Conference in 2021 with a .322 batting average in a second-best 87 at bats. She tied Camryn Hardin for a team-best nine doubles and was second on the team in several categories including six home runs, 22 runs batted in, nine walks and 20 runs scored. Her 28 hits on the season were good for third on the team and she led the way with 12 stolen bases. She was ASC West Hitter of the Week on March 8. It is her second time listed to all-conference in softball after being named to the honorable mention in 2019.

"My challenges and successes have empowered me to continue to give back to my community by encouraging young male and female athletes to set their goals high and to strive for achievement. I remain humble in my accomplishments and endeavors to make a positive impact on the world, through every situation in life that I encounter. Life challenges do not begin or end on the court/field, but how you approach those challenges says a lot about your character. I want to be known for being a strong and influential woman that will meet any challenge with integrity and compassion."
 
About the NCAA Woman of the Year
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award has honored the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes.
 
Following university nominations, conference offices will then select their nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year. Each conference nominee will be notified by the NCAA, and all conference-round nominees will be announced on ncaa.org in August. 

Conference nominations are forwarded to the NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, which identifies the top 10 honorees in each of the three NCAA divisions. From those 30 honorees, the selection committee then determines the three finalists in each division for a total of nine finalists.

The Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year from the nine finalists. At an award ceremony October 17 in Indianapolis, the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, and the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named.