The SCIAC's two nominees for the Division III Commissioners Association Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year Award are Mya Ray of the University of La Verne women's volleyball team and Elle Marsyla of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges women's cross country and track & field teams.
The pair will now advance to regional voting, which will be determined by comissioners. One student-athlete will move on from each of the NCAA's 10 regions for national consideration, and the national winner will be announced on September 3.
Leaving La Verne as the Leopards' all-time kills leader, Ray finished her career as a four-time All-American, including three First Team selections, and a four-time First Team All-SCIAC member. Her 2,002 career kills were over 500 more than the previous best, while her 156 service aces and 1,301 digs also rank top-10 all-time in program history. In 2025, Ray helped lead her team to a National Championship appearance and was named the AVCA DIII National Player of the Year for her efforts. She was also a two-time SCIAC Offensive Athlete of the Year.
As a team member for both the cross country and track & field teams, Marsyla racked up numerous accolades, including a 2025 SCIAC Cross Country Championship, two SCIAC Track Championships, and a 2026 National Championship in the 10,000-meter race. The Woodside, Calif., native was a five-time All-American across both sports and helped lead the Athenas to a third-place finish at the 2025 DIII Cross Country National Championship. Additionally, her outstanding 2025-26 season was highlighted by a National Runner-Up finish in the 5,000-meter race and being named the SCIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Track & Field.
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