Hartong a finalist for CLASS award

Hawaii’s Emily Hartong is one of 10 finalists for the 2013 Senior CLASS volleyball award. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have "notable achievements in four areas of excellence — community, classroom, character and competition."

The senior outside hitter from Los Alamitos, Calif., has progressed from WAC Freshman of the Year honors her first season, to All-America second team as a sophomore and first team last year, when she moved from the middle to the outside. This season, she is averaging 4.65 kills a set, 11th in the country.

Hartong has 1,331 kills and needs 55 to pass Olympian Deitre Collins and move into the Top 10 in career kills at UH. She is coming off a 29-kill, 21-dig performance, where she hit .459. It was her 11th double-double of the season.

The 2012 Big West Player of the Year has collected three player of the week honors this season, giving her seven in her career.

She is also a two-time all-conference academic selection.

Finalists for the Senior CLASS Award were chosen by a media committee from the initial list of 30 candidates announced in August. Nationwide fan voting runs through Dec. 9 at seniorclassaward.com. Fan votes will be combined with media and coaches’ votes to determine the winner.

The Senior CLASS award winner will be announced at this year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Championship. Former Rainbow Wahine Kanani Danielson won the award two years ago.