INDIANAPOLIS, IND.—The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released their list of nominees for 2016 Woman of the Year on Tuesday afternoon. Karen Chin, who wrapped up her career with the Carthage College women's volleyball team this past fall, is among the 515 female NCAA Division I, II and III student-athletes nominated for the prestigious award.
 
Academics, athletics, service and leadership are the four pillars that represent the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
 
Chin was a standout women's volleyball player for the Lady Reds in 2015. The setter from Mundelein, Ill. led NCAA Division III with 1,584 total assists in 2015. She tallied 10.15 assists per set, good enough for 32^nd in the country. The recent Carthage graduate tallied 166 kills, and finished second on the team with 436 digs in 2015.
 
Chin is the Lady Red career leader with 5,262 assists and 9.71 assists per set. Her 1,598 assists in 2015 is also a Carthage single-season record.
 
Chin was the driving force behind a Carthage women's volleyball team that led the country with 1,888 assists, 2,053 kills and 5,497 total attacks in 2015. As a result, Carthage earned a share of the 2015 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Regular Season Championship. The Lady Reds eventually won the 2015 CCIW Tournament Championship, and made a run to the 2015 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Semifinals.
 
Chin's stellar play landed her 2015 CCIW Player of the Year, and a spot on the 2015 All-CCIW First Team. She also pulled down 2015 American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-Midwest Region, and 2015 AVCA First Team All-American.
 
Off the playing surface, Chin accumulated a 3.64 undergraduate grade point average. This landed her 2016 CCIW Jack Schwartz All-Academic honors. Chin also earned the 2016 Craig Deaton Award, which recognizes a senior student-athlete who excels in all areas of athletics, academics, leadership and community service.
 
The graphic design major was the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) secretary, photo editor for The Current (School Newspaper) and a member of the Graphic Design Club.
 
Chin's community service duties include a stint as camp counselor at Vacation Bible School. She also volunteered for the Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club, Feed My Starving Children, Blanket Drive and the Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser.
 
Each conference will evaluate their member nominees, and select up to two to be considered further. The Woman of the Year committee, made up of NCAA representatives, will choose the top 30 honorees (10 from each division).
 
From the top 30, the selection committee will determine the top three honorees from each division and announce nine finalists in September. The 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced at the annual award ceremony on October 16 in Indianapolis.