Aurora University Athletics

With being the AU Woman of the Year, Julia Wood joins a distinguished list of female student-athletes from NCAA conferences and independent schools who have nominated female student-athletes for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. These women represent college athletes spanning all three NCAA divisions.

"Julia has had an outstanding career at AU, not only on the court but in the classroom and as an active and engaged member of the AU community.  Julia was an instrumental part of the volleyball team and helped led the way as we accomplished our first every NCAA Championship Finals appearance," said AU Associate Director of Athletics for Health and Safety / Senior Woman Administrator Nicki Pieart. "She won the Elite 90 award, given to the student-athlete who has the highest GPA in the NCAA Finals and was our Chris Thompson award winner.  We could not be prouder of Julia and wish her well as she embarks on her career as an elementary school teacher.

In her time as a Spartan in the women's volleyball program, Wood was front and center in the Spartans rise to a national program and will finish her career as the all-time digs leader with 1,869 while maintaining a 4.00 grade point average as an elementary education major. She is a 2020-2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, a 2019 CoSIDA Second-Team All-America selection and First-Team Academic All-District. She was the 2018 NCAA Elite 90 winner, a four-time AU and Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference scholar-athlete, a two-time AVCA All-Region selection, a four-time NACC All-Conference player, two-time NACC Defensive Player of the Year, AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. 

In the community, Wood excelled, serving as captain of the AU women's volleyball team, was President of the AU chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) for three years and was selected to be part of the NCAA Leadership Conference in 2020. Wood also gave back to the greater AU community as she took part in Project Linus, National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Aurora Area Interfaith food pantry, the AU morning of service, and Delight. In her hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, she is an annual participant in the Bloomington Wednesday Food Pantry and also coached youth volleyball. 

Additionally, Wood was the 2020-2021 Chris Thompson Award recipient. The annual award is presented to a senior female athlete who exemplifies the characteristics of dedication, determination, sportsmanship and faith throughout the academic year.  This award, given since 1970, is a memorial to the late Chris Thompson who died of cancer during her freshman year.   

ABOUT THE NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR PROCESS
The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division. From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.