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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Tiana Woolridge Named National Finalist For Prestigious Wooden Citizen Cup
January 23, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
Tiana Woolridge, a previous recipient of the Spirit of Princeton Award who has made countless contribution to Princeton both on and off the volleyball court, was named one of five national finalists for the prestigious Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup.
Woolridge joins Madeleine Buckley (William Smith College, soccer), Zach Hyman (Michigan, ice hockey), Maria Lanyi (Northeastern, soccer) and Chris Tamasi (Amherst, football) as finalists for the award. Among the previous recipients of this honor is Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.
“I'm extremely honored and humbled to have been chosen as a finalist for the Wooden Citizenship Cup alongside such an incredible group of student-athletes,” Woolridge said. “When I look back on the last three and a half years, I realize just how much support I've gotten from my family, teammates, coach, and the entire athletic administration to set and achieve my goals both on and off the court. I have always seen a symbiosis between the motto of the athletic department, "Education Through Athletics" and the university's unofficial motto, "In the Nation's Service and the Service of All Nations," and have worked to bring them together in order to make a positive impact on Princeton's and the broader community.
“I'm really looking forward to being able to represent Princeton University and Princeton Athletics on a national scale,” Woolridge added.
The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented to two distinguished athletes from any sport – one intercollegiate and one professional – that best display character, teamwork, and citizenship, the attributes Athletes for a Better World deems central to transforming individuals, sport, and society. The award establishes the recipients as athletes of excellence both on and off the field, role models both as performers and persons, the most important and distinctive honor athletes can achieve.
“I am over the moon that Tiana is a finalist for this incredibly prestigious award,” volleyball head coach Sabrina King said. “Princeton student-athletes are all pretty remarkable, but Tiana is in a class of her own with her extra extra-curricular activities. She has been such a fabulous role model of service. From serving as the sole varsity representative in the Ford Family Athletic Director Search Advisory Committee to founding the Student-Athlete Service Council to fundraising for the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children to interning for President Obama's Study of Bioethical Issues, she is always busy and always using her intellect to better the communities around her, and also those nationally and globally.
“The past finalists and winners of the Wooden Cup are the most exceptional student-athletes, who frankly give us educators a tangible reason to teach and mentor,” King added. “They are the people who will change our world for the better and become the inspiration for those who come after them. Tiana oozes inspiration. The Princeton Volleyball family is incredibly proud of Tiana!”
Woolridge was a two-time All-Ivy League middle blocker for the volleyball team; she averaged nearly .80 blocks per set through her career to lead the defense, and she led all Ivy League players with a .360 hitting percentage her junior year. Her offensive numbers rose each season, and she seemed prime for a standout finish, but Woolridge ruptured her Achilles during the preseason and missed the entire 2014 Princeton season.
That didn't stop Woolridge from being the positive force she has been throughout her Princeton years, supporting her teammates and assisting King in any way possible.
"We are extremely proud that Tiana has been selected as a finalist for this prestigious award," Director of Athletics Mollie Marcoux said. "I cannot think of a more qualified and deserving applicant. Tiana was a member of the Athletic Director Search Committee and from the moment I met her, I was impressed by her poise, her character and her complete dedication to her studies, to her team and to the community around her. Tiana exemplifies the best in college athletics and is an ideal representative of Princeton University."
Her off-court contributions to the University were documented in her nomination form, which you can read below:
Committed to community service, Woolridge is on the Executive Board for the Student Volunteer Council, serving as Mentoring Projects Coordinator. Driven by a passion for service but hoping to find more opportunities where she could volunteer, Tiana founded and still chairs the Student-Athlete Service Council (SASC). The purpose of SASC is to assist interested student-athletes in getting more involved with the local Princeton community through projects that are specifically scheduled around practice and game times to make them more accessible for student-athletes.
As a student in Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Woolridge focuses her studies and extracurricular work on public policy, especially that related to health issues. She was the Director of Fundraising for the Princeton chapter of the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIRMC), and helped raise over $4000 for and coordinated a relief trip to a FIMRC clinic in Alajuelita, Costa Rica. On campus Woolridge is the Vice President of the Minority Association of Premedical Students and a member of the Student Health Advisory Board (SHAB). SHAB is a student-run organization committed to ensuring student satisfaction and quality of health care at Princeton University. Members advocate for the health and wellness of all students on campus. She was a primary organizer for a campus blood drive and encouraged so many student-athletes to come out to give blood (via an email campaign and even dressing up as Buddy the Blood Drop) that nurses had to turn many student-athletes away after reaching their donor goal. Woolridge has also played an important role in SHAB's efforts to demystify mental health issues and provide additional resources and information for students needing assistance. Lastly, she worked in Washington, DC this past summer (2014) as an intern with the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.
As if all of this were not enough, Woolridge holds leadership roles within the Department of Athletics beyond her team commitments. She is one of the fifteen members of the Varsity Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (VSAAC), whose purpose is to enhance the Princeton student-athlete experience by providing a student voice within the Athletics Department for student-athlete concerns regarding both athletic and academic issues and working with institutional representatives to develop appropriate strategies. The VSAAC representatives, nominated by their coaches and selected by senior administration, serve as leaders in the Department of Athletics, on campus and in the community.
Woolridge was the only junior officer on the VSAAC as the secretary in 2013-14. For 2014-15 she was elected Vice President and she is working tirelessly with the President to identify issues and projects for the group to support and address this academic year including injury and mental health, LGBTQ, and academic-athletic balancing issues. Despite her multiple obligations and rigorous course load, she is present at and contributes to every meeting. She is always willing to provide feedback and her input is invaluable. Woolridge will never say no to a request, and yet she never misses a deadline or forgets a promise, which is truly remarkable.
Additionally, in the Fall of 2013, Woolridge was chosen as one of only two student representatives for the Athletic Director Search Advisory Committee. She represented all student-athletes as well as coaches and staff for this incredibly important search that has yielded a new Director of Athletics at Princeton who has hit the ground running and is already making a positive difference in the already successful Princeton Athletics program.