ATLANTA - The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) announced that Rebecca Erwin (Duluth, Ga./Duluth HS) of Birmingham-Southern has been named the 2019-20 Jacaruso Enterprises SAA Woman of the Year.
The SAA Woman of the Year presented by Jacaruso Enterprises is the highest honor the league bestows for an individual women's student-athlete.
"On behalf of our eight SAA institutions, I would like to congratulate Rebecca on this award," said SAA Commissioner Jay Gardiner. "She represents all that an SAA and NCAA Division III student-athlete is. Not only is she a world-class competitor in two sports, but she was an outstanding student and an individual that served well in her community. Her accomplishments were truly remarkable amongst a number of great nominees from around the SAA."
In the classroom, Erwin excelled. The recent Birmingham-Southern College graduate wrapped up her undergraduate career with a 3.918 grade-point average (GPA) in biology with a minor in chemistry. Erwin was a six-time All-SAA All-Academic selection and was recently selected as a 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District Women's At-Large Team selection. That honor recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in athletic competition and in the classroom.
Additionally, Erwin was a three-time Academic All-American and BSC Dean's List selection every semester.
On the volleyball court, Erwin was a two-time All-SAA Selection and the career Panther record holder in blocks. The 2019 First-Team All-SAA honoree lead the nation last fall in blocks per set.
Along with her volleyball accolades, Erwin leaves arguably as the most decorated SAA women's swimmer in league history. An 11-time All-American, the former SAA Newcomer of the Year was a three-time SAA Swimmer of the Year. She leaves her time in the SAA with 15 conference records (open and conference championship) and holds 12 BSC pool records. An NCAA Championship qualifier every season, Erwin's best national performance came in 2019 when she placed second in the 500-yard freestyle. This past season, Erwin qualified for nationals again and was a favorite to take home an individual national championship. That meet was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with that long list of accomplishments, Erwin was known for being a great teammate and a well-rounded student-athlete. In the community, she volunteered for Rise Against Hunger with her BSC volleyball teammates packaging over 40,000 meals over the course of three days. She also served as a biology and writing center tutor at BSC.
Finally, Erwin served as President of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Society, which she has been a member of since 2017.
Erwin joins former Panther standout Elizabeth Bromirski as an SAA Woman of the Year winner.
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