Pitt volleyball standout Olivia Babock named top finalist for AAU Sullivan Award
University of Pittsburgh volleyball standout Olivia Babcock was named a top finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award on Thursday morning. The Amateur Athletic Association announced that Babcock is in contention for the honor, which recognizes the top amateur athlete in the United States. Babcock is 20, making her one of the two youngest finalists in this year’s class.
The award has been presented annually since 1930 and honors elite collegiate, Olympic or other high-level amateur athletes. The finalist list features nine athletes from across the sports world. Babcock’s fellow contenders include Mikaela Shiffrin, Azzi Fudd, Tatyana McFadden, Blake Horvath, Fernando Mendoza, Braden Smith and Zahid Valencia.
Figure skater Alysa Liu is also a finalist and joins Babcock as the youngest in the group at age 20. The award is named after James E. Sullivan, a founder and former president of the Amateur Athletic Union who was considered a leader in amateur sports.
Only three volleyball players have won the honor in nearly a century. Babcock aims to join past volleyball winners Lexi Rodriguez of Nebraska, Kathryn Plummer of Stanford and Lauren Carlini of Wisconsin. The selection follows a record-breaking career at the University of Pittsburgh where Babcock became the most decorated athlete in the history of the volleyball program.
She earned AVCA National Player of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year honors in both 2024 and 2025. Additionally, she received the CWSA Honda Award during her tenure. Babcock will travel to New York City for the award festivities and ceremony scheduled for April 6-7.