Valparaiso senior Taylor Root (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2012 volleyball Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.  The group of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in October, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select the candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

Root has stood out both on and off the court for the Crusaders throughout her career. A two-time honorable mention All-American, the senior led the nation in digs in 2010 and holds the Horizon League record in the category. In the classroom, she owns a 3.588 cumulative GPA as an elementary education major and is a two-time member of the Academic All-Horizon League squad. She has also taken time during her college years to volunteer at numerous volleyball camps and local elementary schools.