COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Her playing career ended in November, but Courtney Smith continues to reap rewards for her excellence as a member of the Tennessee Tech volleyball team. The senior from Knoxville, Tenn., has been selected winner of the Unsung Leader Award for December, a monthly honor presented by the TTU Athletics Department.
“Courtney was a major reason for our team’s success this season,” said Golden Eagle head coach Dave Zelenock. “She took the lead on almost every single initiative the coaching staff put in place. When I look at the list of traits on the criteria (for this award), it would be impossible to find one she does not possess and exhibit this season.”
With Smith in a headline role, the Tech volleyball team enjoyed its most successful season in several years, finished tied for fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference regular season with a 9-7 league record. Tech then advanced to the semifinals of the OVC tournament with a win in the opening round over Jacksonville State.
Smith was named to the OVC All-Tournament team, capping a year in which she ranked first in the league in digs per game in conference action during the regular season. She wrapped up her Tech career ranked second all-time in career digs with 1,764, and was voted winner of the team’s Best Teammate Award for the second year in a row.
"I am so honored just to be considered, nevertheless to be chosen for this award," Smith said. "I am forever grateful for the opportunities Tech has given me to help shape the person I am today."
Zelenock pointed to Smith's leadership efforts throughout the year in her nomination.
“At times during practice and during matches, she single-handedly got us back into games with her leadership,” Zelenock said. “She would not allow our freshmen to get down or have self-doubt. She was a constant voice on the court. When other struggled, she found ways to help them, from encouragement to take more responsibility upon herself.”
Named all three years to the TTU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, the marketing major was the team’s winner of the President’s Award in 2013.
“Courtney is one of the best liberos I have ever worked with,” Zelenock added. “Beyond that, she’s one of the best people. She put in an incredible amount of work to be great at her position and master it, so that she would be able to help others.” During the year I saw her help each of her teammates in one way or another, and even her coaches when we struggled with how to handle situations. I only wish I could have coaches her all four of her seasons.”
The Unsung Leader Award was created this year to recognize leadership by student-athletes, with an award to be presented each month throughout the academic year. A year ago, Tech’s student-athletes and staff attended a leadership seminar, and Director of Athletics Mark Wilson wanted to find ways to keep student-athletes motivated toward following the ideals learned at the event.
“The seminar allowed student-athletes to learn, interact and discuss traits of leadership, and in turn we see our student-athletes demonstrating those traits every day,” Wilson said. “This award is a way to recognize that leadership, which many times isn’t reflected in headlines or other ways. It’s quiet leadership, behind-the-scenes leadership, that makes everybody better.
“These young men and women are leaders, pure-and-simple, not doing the right thing for recognition but to make themselves, their teammates, and their teams better,” Wilson said.
One student-athlete, nominated by his/her coaching staff, will be selected and recognized for exemplifying outstanding leadership qualities during the past month. The leadership can be shown on the field, in the weight room, at practice, in the classroom, in study hall, on campus, in the community, for a student club or organization..
This award honors a varsity student-athlete who has made a positive impact on their team and the Tennessee Tech community as a whole, through his or her dedication to demonstrating leadership traits, such as:
* Keep Learning, Growing, and Improving
* Follow Through with Excellence
* Accomplish More than Expected
* Inspire and Motivate Others
Previous Unsung Leader Award winners have been Ellen Conti (volleyball in September), Austin Tallant (football in October), and Geoffrey Sambu (cross country in November).
