Samantha Plaster Named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
LOS ANGELES – For the first time in program history, Sun Devil Beach Volleyball has the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year on its roster with senior Samantha Plaster earning the award, as announced by the conference on Saturday following the conclusion of the 2021 Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championships.
Plaster is the first Sand Devil to receive this award, but she is the second Sun Devil this season to be named a Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year after women's golf's Olivia Mehaffey also earned the honor. Plaster received this award after earning a cumulative GPA of 4.0 while earning her degree in kinesiology.
After four seasons with Arizona State, Plaster has written her name all over the record book. This year, she became the sixth Sand Devil to reach 50 career wins. She currently has 56 wins and is in fourth place in ASU history for individual wins. She also holds the record for career wins in a pair, a record she broke in her sophomore season. She also is the record holder for the most wins in a single season with 25. In her career she has 16 wins over pairs from ranked teams.
From Flower Mound, Texas, Plaster has earned numerous Pac-12 awards in her career. She was named to the 2019 Pac-12 All-Tournament Team for her efforts to help the Sand Devils to two tournament wins. She also was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team in 2019, as well as making the 2020 Spring Honor Roll. Additionally, she is a 2019 and 2021 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar winner.
Plaster is the 37th Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year in Arizona State history, second-highest total in the conference behind Stanford.
Congrats to @samantha_p9 for reaching 50 career wins!
She is the 6??th Sand Devil to surpass 50 individual wins ???? pic.twitter.com/c7lrH80rFO
— Sun Devil Beach VB (@SunDevilBeachVB) March 29, 2021
In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season. The athletics accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award.
A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12's 24 sponsored sports: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, beach volleyball, men's cross country, women's cross country, football, men's golf, women's golf, women's gymnastics, women's lacrosse, men's rowing, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's track & field, women's track & field, women's volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2007-08 academic year.
For the full Pac-12 release, head here.