MADISON, Wis. – Lauren Carlini, a junior on the Wisconsin volleyball team, is one of four nominees for the 2015-16 Honda Sport Award for volleyball. She is joined on the list of nominees by Samantha Bricio of Southern California, Daly Santana of Minnesota and Haleigh Washington of Penn State.

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) for the past 40 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics."  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2016 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on June 27, 2016, on the campus of the University of Southern California in downtown Los Angeles.

The nominees were chosen by a panel of coaches representing the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The Honda Sport award winner for volleyball will be announced in 2016 after voting by administrators from more than 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.

Carlini, a 6-1 setter from Aurora, Illinois, earns her second straight nomination for the Honda Sport Award in volleyball. She is the first three-time AVCA All-American in Wisconsin history and just the second two-time first-team honoree. The two-time Big Ten Conference Setter of the Year, Carlini led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally with 11.91 assists per set in 2015. She has led the Badgers to three straight NCAA regional appearances and one Big Ten championship.

Five Honda Sport Award winners for volleyball have gone on to win the prestigious Honda Cup - Megan Hodge (Penn State, 2010), Sarah Pavan (Nebraska, 2007), Ogonna Nnamani (Stanford, 2005), Misty May (Long Beach State, 1999) and Deitre Collins (Hawaii, 1983).

The CWSA, celebrating its 40^th year, has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.0 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs at the institutions.