NEWS

Kayla Davis, Bella Brady, and Sola Omonije

WASHINGTON — Davidson’s Bella Brady and Sola Omonije are two of the Atlantic 10 Conference’s nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, the league office announced Thursday.

One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 34th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

A pair of 2024 graduates, Brady and Omonije were both four-year standouts on the Davidson volleyball team. The duo helped lead the Wildcats to 58 wins over the course of their tenure, including a 23-11 run during the 2022 season, which culminated in the program’s most successful season in two decades.

Brady wrapped up her career in a Wildcat uniform as the most decorated player in program history. A three-time Atlantic 10 Libero of the Year winner, the Winter Park, Fla., native etched her name in the record book as the all-time leader in career digs with 1,953 and holds three of the top-5 single-season digs marks. Also a three-time First Team All-Conference honoree, Brady won 11 A-10 weekly honors and was the only libero to suit up for the Wildcats over the last 103 matches of her career.

On a national scale, Brady ended the 2023 campaign ranked fifth among NCAA Division I active career leaders in digs per set (5.18). 

From The Colony, Texas, Omonije was a staple middle blocker for the ‘Cats for four seasons before lending her talents to the women’s track and field team at Davidson during the spring of her senior year. 

On the volleyball court, Omonije earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a senior and ended the regular season second among league leaders in hitting percentage with a .380 attack percentage. Omonije finished the 2023 season with a .393 attack percentage, good for the third-best single-season clip in program history, while also appearing in the top 10 in career attack percentage (.271), solo blocks (46) and block assists (242).

While transitioning to the field, Omonije made an immediate impact on the track and field squad, winning the high jump at the USC Indoor Open and Weems Baskin Invitational. Her success later led to an Atlantic 10 gold medal at the 2024 Outdoor Championships, where she jumped a personal-best 1.73 meters en route to also earning A-10 All-Conference honors.

Earning their diplomas in May, Brady graduated with a degree in psychology, and Omonije earned a degree in biology.