NEWPORT NEWS, Va.—Two of the brightest stars from the Atlantic 10 Conference have been selected as the league's nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Former student-athletes Devon Tabata and Arielle Love were announced Wednesday as the conference candidates for one of the NCAA's most prestigious awards.

Both student-athletes completed their eligibility this past fall and graduated from Duquesne University in May. Tabata, a women's soccer goalkeeper, and Love, a volleyball outside hitter, were selected from a pool of 11 outstanding institutional honorees, representing six A-10 sports and 10 different A-10 institutions. Love and Tabata were chosen as the league's nominees by the Atlantic 10's 14 Senior Woman Administrators (SWAs) based on their athletic achievements, academic prowess, community involvement and leadership abilities. Both A-10 candidates have stellar resumes in all four areas.

"Each year we have remarkable nominees for this award, which showcases the best of the best in the NCAA," stated Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "Devon and Arielle have excelled academically, athletically and are leaders on a national stage. They are committed student-athletes, campus and community leaders, and inspiring role models. The A-10 is proud to nominate each for this prestigious NCAA award."

Tabata, who was recently featured in a USA Today profile, has been actively involved in NCAA leadership, serving on the new NCAA Division I Council, making her one of the first two student-athletes to participate as a voting member on the high-level, executive-led decision-making body. She also has served as the Vice Chair of the Division I National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the past two years. Her national accolades during that time frame also include serving as the only student-athlete voice on the Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, and sitting on the former Division I Academic Cabinet. She also was a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference (2012-15) and Duquesne campus (2011-15) SAACs. On Duquesne's campus, she served on the Student Executive Leadership Council and was a member of the Senior Gift Giving Committee which implemented the "Pass the Hat" campaign.

A four-year starting goalkeeper for the Duquesne women's soccer team, Tabata was the Duquesne 2015 Co-Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She ranks second in program history with a goals against average of 1.29, second in program history with a save percentage of .799 and she ranks third in program history with 17 wins.

Tabata has been a member of the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll, the Duquesne Dean's list and the Dukes' Director of Athletics Honor Roll in each of her eight semesters. She was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, representing the top 10 percent of her class in the business school and the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Tabata also served as a coordinator and project leader in multiple volunteer efforts, including a Toy Drive, a SAAC Hunger Food Drive (2012-14) and a Shoe Drive (2011-15). She spearheaded campus and A-10 pledge drive efforts during the 2014-15 year for the It's On Us campaign, designed to end sexual assault on college campuses. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Tabata earned her bachelor's degree in Business Administration, magna cum laude.

An honorable mention All-American and Senior CLASS Candidate, Love was honored as AVCA National Player of the Week as a senior. She has been an Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll and Duquesne Dean's List member in nine of her 10 semesters, and she was on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll 10 out of 10 semesters.

Love was selected for the 2014 A-10 Volleyball All-Academic Team. A three-time, All-Conference First Team selection from 2012-2014, her AVCA Honorable Mention All-American honors came during her senior year, when she was also selected as AVCA All-Region. Love also was the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship Most Outstanding Player and a member of the All-Championship Team after leading Duquesne to its first-ever A-10 title and NCAA Tournament appearance. She has been named A-10 Player of the Week six times throughout her career and was a member of the 2011 A-10 All-Rookie Team. Love served as team captain for the Dukes and was a volleyball representative on the Duquesne Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

She coached club volleyball with Pittsburgh Elite and Tri-State Elite teams, worked with the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania to grow baseball in the inner city, and volunteered at the Maple Heights Community Food Pantry. This past spring, Love volunteered on the media support staff for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Second and Third Rounds. She worked with Net Impact on social and environmental changes and interned with Duquesne's Athletics Marketing and Learfield Sports. The Maple Heights, Ohio, native graduated cum laude in just three years with a sports marketing degree. Love is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Sustainability and is on track to graduate in August of 2015.

Love and Tabata are among 147 conference nominees from all three NCAA Divisions, the most in the history of the Woman of the Year Award. Including the two A-10 selections, there are 57 nominees from Division I with an average GPA of 3.72. Tabata is one of 18 nominees from women's soccer while Love is among 23 volleyball nominees.

One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 25th year, this unique award recognizes the athletic achievements of outstanding young women, as well as their academic achievements, community service and leadership. To be eligible, these women must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have completed eligibility in their primary sport.

About the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 and consists of 14 diverse members across eight states and Washington, D.C. The mission of the Atlantic 10 is to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience through 21 nationally competitive championship sports. The basketball-centric conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for its student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. The membership consists of Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University. For more information, visit www.atlantic10.com.