Kansas junior Tayler Soucie, who helped the Jayhawks’ volleyball team to the Final Four, and Buddy Hield, who captured several major college basketball player of the year awards, were selected Big 12 sportspersons of the year Thursday.
The Big 12 award annually recognizes student-athletes for sportsmanship, community service and academic achievement.
Soucie, from Osawatomie, Kan., is a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12.
“As a three-year starter, she has made a positive impact for our team her entire career,” Kansas coach Ray Bechard said in a statement. “As her career has progressed, so has her willingness to get more involved in other things. There’s not a better representative of our program and our athletic department than Tayler Soucie. We’re really proud of all that she’s provided for us on the court, but also how she’s represented our athletic department off of the court.”
Hield, a senior who became the conference’s career scoring leader, was among the first people to reach out to ESPN reporter Holly Rowe after a cancer diagnosis.
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