Alfred's Elisabeth Estep Recognized as a National Finalist for Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Award

7/2/2019 8:16:57 AM

When anyone thinks of Coach John Wooden, they instantly think of his greatness in winning 10 consecutive National Championships from 1964 through 1975, and they think of his character of giving. Athletes for a Better World (ABW) founded the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup in 2005 and in its 15^th year of existence, Alfred women's volleyball's, Elisabeth Estep was one of four finalists for the award.
 
"The feeling of this announcement is beyond anything I can describe. Coach John Wooden is argued to be the best of the best and this award is something that only one person in all of NCAA can receive; so hearing that Ibby [Estep] has been marked as a finalist is such a huge honor," her Head Coach Dakota Pruiss said. "She is one of the most impactful people our program has ever had and she has personally changed my life for the better. Her teammates and our staff have the utmost respect for Ibby because she is a living example of the success someone can have from not only trying their hardest but by taking advantage at every opportunity life has to offer. I am so proud that her work ethic is being acknowledged on such a national platform. She is truly deserving of this!"

CLOSER LOOK 
The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is an award given to the most outstanding role models among athletes. Coach Wooden is highly decorated and celebrated as 'one of the finest human beings to ever grace the world of sports as his character, conduct and selfless gifts stand at the highest level by any standard' (ABW Press Release). The Cup is presented to one professional or Olympic athlete, one female high school athlete, one male high school athlete and one collegiate athlete. The award is a physical representation of the Student-Athlete's character and leadership both on and off the field.
 
""I am absolutely ecstatic that the Wooden Citizenship Cup committee has recognized the incredible accomplishments of Elisabeth [Estep] in making her a finalist for this incredibly prestigious award," Alfred Athletic Director Paul Vecchio said. "Given my own affinity for the values and accomplishments of John Wooden – and given the incredible competition for this award amongst all Divisions of collegiate athletics – this accomplishment surely ranks amongst the highest honors a Saxon Student-Athlete has ever received. I could not be more proud of Elisabeth who has simply been a difference maker of the highest caliber since the day she stepped foot on the Alfred University campus."
 
'Ibby' Estep was a four-year varsity starter for the Alfred women's volleyball team. She began at Alfred in the Fall of 2015 after graduating from Horseheads High School in Horseheads, N.Y. Estep immediately established herself as the Saxons' starting libero during her first year on the team.
 
During her time on the court, Estep accumulated 1,374 digs, 118 aces, 110 kills and 235.5 points. In her senior season, she was asked to move from a defensive specialist and a libero role, to that of an outside hitter. As she moved to the front line, she immediately made an impact. In her new position, Estep totaled 78 kills.
 
Although she proved to be a valuable member of the Alfred women's volleyball team, both as a player and a leader as she was team captain this past season, Estep excelled in her academics and other on-campus activities. She graduated from Alfred in the Spring of 2019 with her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in biology and minoring in both spanish and chemistry. She also has a pre-health concentration as she aspires to go into the dental field after post-graduate schooling. She has a current GPA of 3.98 and has made the Dean's List and the Empire 8 President's List every semester throughout her career.
 
Estep, during her time as a Saxon, has amassed quite the list of academic honors. Among them 
-           Honors Program
-           Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society
-           Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society
-           Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society
-           Phi Sigma Iota Foreign Language Honor Society
-           Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honor Society
-           2017 Diana Mossip Memorial Scholarship Recipient
-           2017 Resident Assistant Rookie of the Year
-           2018 Resident Assistant of the Year
-           2018 Alpha Kappa Omicron Social Change Leadership Award
-           Published in the Phi Sigma Iota's Spring 2018 Magazine (The Forum)
-           Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant Recipient
-           Graduate of the LEAD Athletic Program at Alfred University
-           Recipient of the Empire 8 Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award all four years of her collegiate participation
 
While attending Alfred, Estep was a part of Residence Life since the Fall of 2016. As a Resident Assistant, she has taken on duties such as: guiding residents in making connections and adjustments to university life; developing and creating events; organizing hall meetings and hosting community builders for her 79 residents in corridor-style living, and finally, prioritizing the safety of Alfred University residents while also submitting incident and care reports as necessary.
 
Estep had also taken on the role as a Supplemental Instruction Leader in Alfred's Biology 150 class. She had been in that position since her sophomore year and ended in the Spring semester of her junior year. Her duties in that role included her attending class time and hosting sessions available to 90 students who desired to receive additional assistance on materials while also hosting study group sessions to assist students with prepping for midterms and final exams each semester.
 
Estep was also an attendee of the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum held in Washington, D.C. in November of 2017. She was selected to represent Alfred at the leadership forum alongside over 300 student-athletes from across the nation. Estep participated in character-building activities which guided personal leadership philosophies and strength-based leadership growth with the CliftonStrengths Assessment.
 
Estep founded and served as the President of Alfred University's Pre-Health Club. She started the on-campus club in the Fall of 2017 and presided over all club meetings. Her responsibilities included coordinating events with the officers, advisors and guest speakers while also serving as a connection between the health sciences department and the student body at Alfred. 
 
A 2017 graduate of the Women's Leadership Academy Cohort XI, which she attended during the 2016-17 academic year, Estep gained knowledge in the field of feminism and leadership growth in a cohort culture of 12 women students. She also organized the day-long "Take the Leading Role" Performing Arts & Leadership Conference made up of three breakout workshop blocks on dance, music and theater. She also organized a career perspective panel as a capstone project that year as well.
 
As a member of the Alfred volleyball team, Estep earned the E8 Sportsmanship Award all four years of varsity play. Her coaches nominated her as they believed she "exhibited outstanding sportsmanship in keeping with the conference's mission of competing with honor and integrity and playing for the love of the game" all four years of being a Saxon.

She also traveled with her teammates to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua during the Summer of 2016 in which they played a couple of matches but also, volunteered their services. Estep and her fellow Saxons mentored young adults who lived with various disabilities at the "Manos Unidas" foundation. They also aided a bilingual children's school of 4-12 year olds by reading books and playing games for their daily lesson. Estep and her teammates, over the years, have also volunteered with the City of Hornell Humane Society and have helped run the City of Hornell YMCA Kids Night Out events.

Estep was also an Advisory Board Member for the Honors Program at Alfred, as well as a member of the Symphonic Orchestra, playing the string bass.
 
"Ibby [Estep] is one of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Her leadership skills on and off of the volleyball court are beyond spectacular," Heather D'Andrea '18 said. "She is caring, meticulous, funny, smart and most importantly, genuine. Her role in so many different leadership positions at Alfred University shows just how amazing of a person she really is. I am blessed to be able to call her one of my friends."
 
"Elisabeth Estep is the player that every coach, teammate and opponent wants," Mikala McCartney '20 said. "Not only does she excel in anything she puts her mind to on and off the court, she does anything she can to enable others to succeed. She is always willing to do what most don't want to do, and does it with a smile."
 
""I would have to say Ibby has always been a constant and steady force on the court," Sarah Raeman said. "She's the one that you could look to when the game was getting rough and you would know it would be okay and we could bounce back. On the other hand, if the game was great, you could look to her and just feed off her energy to get you more excited.  Ibby was the one that you could look to when you didn't know what to do or didn't know how to act, and she would show you how just by example. As for off the court, she would always be the last to leave the gym, locker room, parking lot, or wherever in order to make sure that everything was all set and nobody was left behind."
 
The three other finalist that join Estep for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Award are all NCAA Division I Student-Athletes. They are:
Abigail Abel, Purdue University
Nathan Clayberg, Drake University
Malani Lee, University of South Florida

- Information for this release provided by the athletic communications staff at Alfred - 

ABOUT ATHLETES FOR A BETTER WORLD
Founded in 1998, Athletes for a Better World (ABW) exists to change the culture of sport by developing individual character, teamwork, and civic responsibility through commitment to the Code for Living. ABW's vision is to have the Code become a part of every sport at every level, so that it becomes the common language and standard expectation of behavior for everyone. ABW provides resources to coaches and athletes across the country who want to teach and live out these values. "The Code for Living" can be found on playing fields, locker rooms and athletic facilities across the country. Currently, ABW players and coaches are represented in every state and several foreign countries. More at www.abw.org.

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com and https://youtu.be/wzL4HcDoUUQ