Big South Announces 2024-25 Woman of the Year Co-Honorees
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – The Big South Conference announced today that Radford volleyball player
Meredith Page (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and High Point lacrosse player
Esprit Cha (Ellicott City, Md.) have been named the Big South Conference’s co-honorees for Woman of the Year for 2024-25.
The Big South’s Woman of the Year Selection Committee voted Page and Cha the co-honorees among the seven candidates nominated for the award. The Committee used criteria of Service and Leadership (including community services, campus activities and leadership positions), Academic Achievement, Athletics Excellence and a Personal Statement from each candidate. As the Big South’s Woman of the Year, Page and Cha are the conference’s official nominees for the national NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Page, a four-year volleyball letterwinner, graduated with a 3.96 GPA in Business Administration and a minor in Leadership. She has made a national impact through her extensive service in NCAA governance, serving as Chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and as a voting member of the NCAA Board of Directors and Division I Council. She also testified before the U.S. Congress on student-athlete issues and has been a powerful advocate for equity and visibility for women’s sports. Page’s accomplishments include:
Athletic Honors:
• Four-year letterwinner for Radford Volleyball
• Radford Athletics Senior Leadership Award & Grieg Denny Award (2025)
Leadership & Governance Roles:
• Chair, NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (2025–26)
• Voting Member, NCAA Board of Directors & Division I Council
• Student-Athlete Representative, Big South Board of Administrators and CEOs
• Testified before U.S. Congress on student-athlete issues (2024)
• Led historic initiative to secure student-athlete voting rights in Big South governance
Academic Honors:
• Davis College of Business Scholar/Citizen Award (2025)
• Provost Student-Athlete Excellence Award (2025)
• Eight-time Dean’s List honoree
Service & Advocacy:
• National speaker at NCAA, NACDA, Knight Commission, and Sports Business Journal events
• Advocate for gender equity, investment, and visibility in women’s sports
Cha, a standout lacrosse player and two-time All-Big South selection, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Biology (3.85 GPA) and is currently pursuing an MBA in Healthcare Management. A team captain and leader on and off the field, Cha represented Korea in the 2022 Women’s Lacrosse World Championships, finishing as the team’s top scorer. She has volunteered extensively in her community -- from organizing charity 5Ks for pediatric cancer to serving as a hospice companion -- and aspires to have a career in medicine. Cha’s achievements include:
Athletic Honors:
• Two-time All-Big South (2024 First-Team, 2025 Second-Team)
• Two-time Big South Regular Season Co-Champion (2022, 2025)
• Big South All-Tournament Team (2024)
• Korean National Team – 2022 Women’s Lacrosse World Championships (Top Scorer, 6th overall in scoring)
• Big South Defensive Player of the Week (Feb. 20, 2024); Freshman of the Week (Feb. 22, 2022)
Leadership & Service:
• High Point University Women’s Lacrosse Team Captain (2024–25)
• Organizer, Mason Run 5K for pediatric cancer ($6,002 raised)
• Volunteer for Hospice of the Piedmont, local clinics, and youth lacrosse coaching
• Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member
Academic Honors:
• IWLCA All-Academic Honor Roll (2024, 2025) and CSC Academic All-District Team (2025)
• Presidential Founders Scholar (Full Tuition Merit Award)
• Dean’s List (7/7 semesters)
• Natural Science Fellow, Research Assistant in environmental science and medical studies
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year program has recognized graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership throughout their college careers.
Also nominated for the 2024-25 Big South Woman of the Year award were Charleston Southern golfer
Odette Font Garcia (Mallorca, Spain), Longwood soccer player
Alex Dinger (Fredericksburg, Va.), Longwood softball player
Er’ron Burton (Suffolk, Va.), USC Upstate track & field athlete
Rachel Davis, and Winthrop lacrosse player
Maddy Hodgson (Lebanon, Ohio). Also among the institutional nominees from non-sponsored Big South sports were Presbyterian top/tumbler
Abigail Katz (Columbia, S.C.), Presbyterian wrestler
Chiara Barbieri (Brampton, Ontario) and UNC Asheville swimmer
Riley Edmundson (Flower Mound, Texas).
The NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will choose the Top 30 honorees -- 10 from each division -- from the conference-level nominees. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in the fall, and the selection committee will then determine 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year. The honorees will be celebrated at the Woman of the Year Award Ceremony at the NCAA Convention in in January. The Big South had its first national finalist in 2005 when Big South Hall of Famer
Janiva Willis of Winthrop was named one of the 10 finalists.