HAVERFORD, Pa. – Anna-Sophia Capizzi '20 and Sara Matsumura '20 have been announced as nominees for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year. Capizzi and Matsumura are two of a record-breaking 605 female student-athletes who were nominated across the country. Of those record number of entrants, 220 of those student-athletes come from Division III schools.
Celebrating its 30-year anniversary, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.
Both of Haverford's 2020 nominees were recipients of the Gregory Kannerstein '63 Award which is presented to individuals whose combination of outstanding athletic achievement and leadership has been a significant factor in a team's competitive success and whose level of performance has brought distinction not only to the individual but also the entire athletic program.
Anna-Sophia Capizzi (women's basketball)
Anna-Sophia Capizzi helped guide the Haverford College women's basketball team to the NCAA Tournament in each of her final three seasons with the Fords, including back-to-back Centennial Conference Championships during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Capizzi was named the Centennial Conference Tournament MVP following the 2020 championship which the Fords hosted inside Gooding Arena.
An All-Centennial Conference performer during both of Haverford's championship seasons, Capizzi was named an All-American as a senior while also becoming the first player in program history to be named the Centennial Conference Player of the Year. During the 2019-20 season, she led the conference in points (537), points per game (19.2), field goals made (192), and three-pointers made (79), while also ranking fourth in steals (53).
Breaking the school record for points in a single season, Capizzi vaulted herself to becoming the 10th member of the women's basketball 1,000-point club at Haverford. Her field goals and three-pointers made now also stand as single-season records. Nevertheless, her entire career will go down as one of the best in program history as she ranks second all-time in three-pointers made (184) and three-point field goal percentage (.352) to go along with her 1,115 career points.
Capizzi graduated from Haverford with a degree in biology while holding a minor in fine arts. During her standout senior season, she was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team. She was also a three-time selection to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.
With Capizzi's involvement, the Haverford College women's basketball team also undertook runner several community service initiatives including Hoops from the Heart, the Billy Lake Marathon, and a Special Olympics clinic. Capizzi was also an active member of the Joe Schwartz 3K committee which annually raises money for ALS research.
Sara Matsumura (volleyball)
Sara Matsumura was a standout for the Fords on the volleyball court as she too saw her senior career end with All-America recognition. A two-year team captain, Matsumura earned All-Centennial Conference Accolades three times during her career. In addition to first-team honors as a senior, Matsumura was named the Tournament MVP of the Ford Invitational.
Serving as the lynchpin of the Haverford defense in the libero position, Matsumura helped guide the Fords back to the Centennial Conference Tournament during the fall 2019 season. The team compiled a 22-9 mark during her final campaign with the Fords to eclipse the 20-win mark for the first time since 2015.
Despite missing the final seven matches of her career with an injury, Matsumura's presence helped Haverford win its final three conference contests to clinch a home playoff match. Even with that time out of the lineup, Matsumura still managed to lead the Centennial Conference in digs (521) and digs per set (5.99). She finished her career ranked third in program history in digs (1,953) and digs per set (4.98) and was making a run at the school record late in the season.
Named to the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team during each of her four seasons, Matsumura was also a three-time selection to the conference's academic honor roll. She graduated from Haverford with a degree in chemistry while maintaining a minor in environmental studies. Matsumura was additionally selected to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team for her play on the court and performance in the classroom.
Matsumura has also given of her time to serve her community. In 2016, she spent 12 weeks in Peru as an English teacher for children ages 5-12. Making the most of her time at Haverford, Matsumura was the co-head of Haverford's Asian Student Association, a One Love Facilitator, served on the Joe Schwartz committee, and was a member of the Strength and Conditioning committee.
The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award. Then, conferences assess each nominee's eligibility and select up to two conference nominees. All conference nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year.