Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Cap Season with Awards Banquet
April 14, 2019 | Women's Basketball
Women's basketball handed out team awards on Sunday
BOULDER – The University of Colorado women's basketball team officially put a close on the 2018-19 season with its annual awards banquet on Sunday.
Eight awards were handed out in all, including two a new GOAT awards for this season.
2018-19 Team Awards
Team MVP – Alexis Robinson
Defensive MVP – Quinessa Caylao-Do
Most Improved Player- Kai Volcy
Ceal Barry Pride Award – Peanut Tuitele
Crystal Ford Adams Scholar Athlete – Annika Jank
Lisa Van Goor Rebounding Award – Mya Hollingshed
GOAT Awards – Lisa Van Goor and Ceal Barry
Robinson, voted the team's MVP by her teammates, closed out her senior year as one of the top contributors for the Buffs. The Ashland, Ky., native shouldered a heavy load for the Buffs and was rewarded with All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors. Robinson averaged 12.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in her final year at CU. She led the team in Pac-12 play, averaging 14.4 points per game. 11 of her 17 double-figure scoring games came against conference opponents, including her career-high 33-point performance against UCLA. Robinson became the latest Buff to join the 1,000-point club, closing her career 18th on the all-time scoring list with 1,285 points.
Caylao-Do was voted the team's Defensive MVP by her teammates. The junior guard garnered honorable mention All-Defensive honors, totaling career-highs in steals (31), blocks (11) and rebounds (127). Caylao-Do led the Colorado guards with 4.2 rebounds per game last season. She grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in CU's first meeting against UCLA. Caylao-Do also led the Buffs in steals seven times this season, notching a career-high (4) at Washington.
Volcy, recognized as most improved by her teammates, saw steady growth in her first season at CU. She played in 24 games and earned her first career start against Arizona State in the Pac-12 Tournament. The 6-foot-4 center averaged 6.3 minutes per game, totaling 31 rebounds.
Tuitele was chosen as the Ceal Barry Pride Award recipient by head coach JR Payne and the coaching staff. The award is given to the student-athlete that shows drive, puts in hard work and is unselfish both on and off the court. Tuitele finished fifth on the team with 7.3 points per game. She played in 26 games, picking up 19 starts in her first season. Tuitele was the team's second-leading rebounder, averaging 5.4 boards per game.
This year's Crystal Ford Adams Scholar-Athlete Award was given to sophomore Annika Jank. The award is directed in part by academic coordinator Chris Howlett and the individual work the student-athlete demonstrates in the classroom. Jank, a communications major, was one of three Buffs to earn Pac-12 Academic honorable mention.
Sophomore Mya Hollingshed led CU this season with a career-high 197 rebounds. Therefore, she earned the Lisa Van Goor Rebounding Award, named after Colorado's all-time leading rebounder. Hollingshed started all 30 games this past season, averaging 6.6 rebounds per game.
The final two awards were handed out ceremoniously. Van Goor and Barry were each honored with the new GOAT Award. The award continues the recognition that was bestowed upon both Van Goor and Barry this past year.
Van Goor was Colorado's inductee to the Pac-12 Hall of Honor. She remains the only CU basketball player -men's or women's – to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. When she graduated, she was CU's all-time leader in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots and was the first female inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
Barry, currently Colorado's Deputy Athletic Director was a 2018 inductee to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. The former CU head coach was a four-time Big Eight Coach of the Year and accumulated a 427-242 (.638) record in her 22 seasons on the Buffaloes' bench. Barry guided the Buffs to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Sweet Sixteens and three Elite Eights.
The morning was also a chance to celebrate the careers of the Buffs' two seniors, Robninson and Kennedy Leonard.
Robinson quickly became a key contributor for the Buffaloes, starting in 20 games her freshman season and earning Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention. Robinson started all 31 games her sophomore year, helping lead the Buffs to a first-round win over UNLV in the WNIT. She averaged 11.4 points per game and was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention. Robinson returned from injury to record 12.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game as a junior. This season Robinson scored in double figures in 17 games.She finishes her career seventh at CU with 186 3FGM and 13th in both games started (105) and minutes played (3,275).
Leonard immediately made an impact in Boulder as a freshman. She started 29 games and put together one of the best rookie campaigns in program history. Leonard averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, earning Pac-12 All-Freshman and honorable mention All-Conference. Leonard didn't skip a beat in her sophomore year, recording the seventh best scoring season in school history with 563 total points. She set CU's single-season assist record with 190 on the year. Leonard helped the Buffs into the third round of the WNIT, scoring 29 points in CU's overtime win over South Dakota State. Leonard continued to break records as a junior, passing her own assist mark with 200 on the season. She became the fifth-fastest player to 1,000 career points, doing so in her 69th career game against George Mason. Leonard's junior season earned her first-team All-Pac-12 honors for the second consecutive season, averaging career-highs in points and assists. A two-time Lieberman Award Watch List selection as one of the nation's top point guards, Leonard started 100 consecutive games before missing time to injury this season. She became CU's all-time assist leader, passing Bridgett Turner with six assists against Utah. She finishes her career with 664 assists and is seventh in all-time scoring with 1,635 career points. Leonard's name is also etched in the top-10 in assists per game (1st), minutes per game (2nd), free throws made (6th), steals (7th), 3-point field goals made (9th) and total minutes (9th).
