Aleksandravicius Caps Off Record-Setting Career with SoCon Female Athlete of the Year Award
5/28/2013 10:48:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Sophia Aleksandravicius of the women's basketball team capped off her impressive Wildcat career and senior campaign by being honored as Davidson's first female student-athlete to be named the Southern Conference Athlete of the Year as announced recently by the league office. She will be honored in conjunction with the league's annual Honors Dinner on Wednesday night, May 29, in Hilton Head, S.C.
Aleksandravicius becomes the seventh Wildcat overall to garner the league's top athlete of the year and first since Stephen Curry won it back-to-back years in 2007-08 and 2008-09. The SoCon Female Athlete of the Year Award was inaugurated in 1990. The SoCon Sports Media Association selected the winner in 1989-90, and since 1990-91, each school's athletic director and a designated media representative have participated in the voting. Aleksandravicius is the sixth women's basketball player in the SoCon to take home the honor.
“This is an amazing and well-deserved honor for Sophia,” commented head coach Michele Savage. “I have enjoyed coaching her the last three years and seeing her development in so many ways. She has worked very hard over the course of this year as well as her career to be one of the best student-athletes to have ever played for the women's basketball program. I think it's only fitting for her to win the award of female athlete of the year and it's a great honor for her to be the first female Davidson player to earn the award.”
It was a record-setting career for Aleksandravicius, who was a two-time SoCon Player and Defender of the Year, and a three-time All-SoCon First Team member on both the coaches and media teams. She set seven school records, including points (1,878), rebounds (1,143) and blocks (339), while also setting six new single-season Wildcat records during her senior year. The senior is the only women's player, and just the third basketball player at Davidson, to have over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
The forward also set a single-game blocks record with 10 on her way to collecting the program's first triple-double, Feb. 16, with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks in home win vs. Furman.
Aleksandravicius put her name among the greats in the SoCon women's basketball record book during her four years. She finished ranked in the top-10 all-time in: points (10th), scoring (14.8- 9th), field goals (5th), field goal attempts (4th), free throws (9th), free throw attempts (10th), rebounding (4th) and blocks (10- 2nd-best single game, 102- 2nd-best in single season, 339- 1st).
The Pound Ridge, N.Y., native, adds the female athlete of the year award to a growing collection of senior accolades she was honored with this season. Besides her SoCon Player and Defender of the Year award, along with the All-SoCon First Team honors, she was named Full Court Mid-Major All-America Honorable Mention by fullcourt.com. The senior also earned the Rebecca A. Stimson Award for being Davidson's top female student-athlete this year.
Other accolades included being named the SoCon Player of the Year by CollegeSportsMadness.com and earning first-team honors. The publication named Aleksandravicius to the All Mid-Major Second Team. She was also a first-team SoCon All-Tournament pick after guiding Davidson to the SoCon Championship game for just the second time in program history. During the regular season, Aleksandravicius was a three-time SoCon Player of the Week honoree, and took home the league's player of the month award in January and February to give her four for her career.
Aleksandravicius led Davidson to its second straight postseason appearance, and third overall, with a trip to the Women's NIT, where the Wildcats netted the program's first postseason victory. The senior tallied her 50th career double-double, and 20th of the season, with 27 points and 11 rebounds in guiding the 'Cats to a first-round win at Old Dominion, March 21. Her 20 double-doubles ranked 11th in the nation this season.
The senior led the SoCon this year in scoring (16.5), rebounding (9.9) and blocks (102- 2.9 per game / 10th in the nation), all career highs. She wrapped up her stellar career by scoring in double digits 104 times, including 28 20-point outings and a pair of 30-point games. Aleksandravicius registered 56 double-digit rebounding games during her career, with 22 of those coming this past season.
Off the court, Aleksandravicius volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club, Davidson Elementary and the Davidson Run for Green. She completed her degree in political science earlier this month from Davidson.
The Wildcats finished with its second straight 22-win campaign, going 22-13 and 16-4 in SoCon play. The 22 overall wins and 16 in league play were both second-most in program history.
Running back Eric Breitenstein of Wofford College was named the Bob Waters SoCon Male Athlete of the Year after earning the league's offensive player of the year award for the second consecutive season. He finished third in the 2012 Walter Payton Award voting, and as a senior, led the SoCon while ranking second nationally with 2,035 rushing yards.
The male athlete of the year award dates back to 1947-48 and prior to 1990-91, the award was selected solely by members of the SoCon Sports Media Association. Beginning in 1991-92, the award was names after the late Bob Waters, who was Western Carolina's head football coach from 1969-88.
Aleksandravicius becomes the seventh Wildcat overall to garner the league's top athlete of the year and first since Stephen Curry won it back-to-back years in 2007-08 and 2008-09. The SoCon Female Athlete of the Year Award was inaugurated in 1990. The SoCon Sports Media Association selected the winner in 1989-90, and since 1990-91, each school's athletic director and a designated media representative have participated in the voting. Aleksandravicius is the sixth women's basketball player in the SoCon to take home the honor.
“This is an amazing and well-deserved honor for Sophia,” commented head coach Michele Savage. “I have enjoyed coaching her the last three years and seeing her development in so many ways. She has worked very hard over the course of this year as well as her career to be one of the best student-athletes to have ever played for the women's basketball program. I think it's only fitting for her to win the award of female athlete of the year and it's a great honor for her to be the first female Davidson player to earn the award.”
It was a record-setting career for Aleksandravicius, who was a two-time SoCon Player and Defender of the Year, and a three-time All-SoCon First Team member on both the coaches and media teams. She set seven school records, including points (1,878), rebounds (1,143) and blocks (339), while also setting six new single-season Wildcat records during her senior year. The senior is the only women's player, and just the third basketball player at Davidson, to have over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
The forward also set a single-game blocks record with 10 on her way to collecting the program's first triple-double, Feb. 16, with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks in home win vs. Furman.
Aleksandravicius put her name among the greats in the SoCon women's basketball record book during her four years. She finished ranked in the top-10 all-time in: points (10th), scoring (14.8- 9th), field goals (5th), field goal attempts (4th), free throws (9th), free throw attempts (10th), rebounding (4th) and blocks (10- 2nd-best single game, 102- 2nd-best in single season, 339- 1st).
The Pound Ridge, N.Y., native, adds the female athlete of the year award to a growing collection of senior accolades she was honored with this season. Besides her SoCon Player and Defender of the Year award, along with the All-SoCon First Team honors, she was named Full Court Mid-Major All-America Honorable Mention by fullcourt.com. The senior also earned the Rebecca A. Stimson Award for being Davidson's top female student-athlete this year.
Other accolades included being named the SoCon Player of the Year by CollegeSportsMadness.com and earning first-team honors. The publication named Aleksandravicius to the All Mid-Major Second Team. She was also a first-team SoCon All-Tournament pick after guiding Davidson to the SoCon Championship game for just the second time in program history. During the regular season, Aleksandravicius was a three-time SoCon Player of the Week honoree, and took home the league's player of the month award in January and February to give her four for her career.
Aleksandravicius led Davidson to its second straight postseason appearance, and third overall, with a trip to the Women's NIT, where the Wildcats netted the program's first postseason victory. The senior tallied her 50th career double-double, and 20th of the season, with 27 points and 11 rebounds in guiding the 'Cats to a first-round win at Old Dominion, March 21. Her 20 double-doubles ranked 11th in the nation this season.
The senior led the SoCon this year in scoring (16.5), rebounding (9.9) and blocks (102- 2.9 per game / 10th in the nation), all career highs. She wrapped up her stellar career by scoring in double digits 104 times, including 28 20-point outings and a pair of 30-point games. Aleksandravicius registered 56 double-digit rebounding games during her career, with 22 of those coming this past season.
Off the court, Aleksandravicius volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club, Davidson Elementary and the Davidson Run for Green. She completed her degree in political science earlier this month from Davidson.
The Wildcats finished with its second straight 22-win campaign, going 22-13 and 16-4 in SoCon play. The 22 overall wins and 16 in league play were both second-most in program history.
Running back Eric Breitenstein of Wofford College was named the Bob Waters SoCon Male Athlete of the Year after earning the league's offensive player of the year award for the second consecutive season. He finished third in the 2012 Walter Payton Award voting, and as a senior, led the SoCon while ranking second nationally with 2,035 rushing yards.
The male athlete of the year award dates back to 1947-48 and prior to 1990-91, the award was selected solely by members of the SoCon Sports Media Association. Beginning in 1991-92, the award was names after the late Bob Waters, who was Western Carolina's head football coach from 1969-88.
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