OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Missouri State's Lily Johnson is one of 30 candidates announced Tuesday for the Senior CLASS Award in volleyball, an honor given annually to an NCAA Division I senior with notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. 

The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship in December.

For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.