University of Wisconsin-Madison volleyball player Sarah Franklin received a nomination for the Best College Athlete in the Women’s Sports category at the 2024 Excellence in Sports Yearly Awards (ESPYS).
Franklin joins Louisiana State University gymnastics’ Haleigh Bryant, Northwestern University lacrosse’s Izzy Scane, and University of Iowa basketball's Caitlin Clark on the shortlist for the award.
ESPN hosts the ESPYs to honor players' and teams’ achievements during the previous season.
This honor comes on the heels of Wisconsin volleyball’s appearance in the NCAA tournament, in which they reached the Final Four before losing to Texas. Franklin had 13 kills that game and 486 kills for the entire season, the highest on the team. Over the course of the season, Franklin scored 540 points, also the highest on the team.
The Big Ten named Franklin Player of the Week three times during the 2023 season and recognized her performances with the Big Ten Player of the Year award.
The awards are determined by fan votes on ESPN’s website. The award ceremony will be held July 11 at 7 p.m. on ABC.
Gabriella Hartlaub is the former arts editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has also written state politics and campus news. She currently is a summer reporting intern with Raleigh News and Observer. Follow her on Twitter at @gabihartlaub.