THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Bria Matthews and Notre Dame’s Stefani Deschner have been selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s nominees for the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Matthews and Deschner emerged as the ACC’s 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year candidates following a vote of the league’s 15 member schools. Each year, conferences select up to two nominees from their member institutions nominations based on their respective achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership. All conference-level nominees are then forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which will choose the top 10 honorees in each division in September. From the top 30, the selection committee will then determine three finalists in each division before the Committee on Women’s Athletics votes to determine the 2021 Woman of the Year.
A six-time All-American, Matthews became one of the most decorated athletes in program history competing in both the long jump and triple jump. A prolific competitor, Matthews captured six ACC Championships (four indoor, two outdoor), including five titles in the triple jump. She capped her collegiate career being named the Most Outstanding Field Performer at the 2021 ACC Outdoor Championship this past spring after earning a pair of silver medals to mark the seventh and eighth podium finishes of her ACC career.
Off the track, Matthews was recognized for her leadership and devotion to her community, receiving the Athletes for a Better World’s prestigious 2021 John Wooden Citizenship Cup that is presented annually to distinguished athletes for their character and leadership on and off the field. She was also awarded the Top Female Peach of an Athlete Award in 2020, recognizing her character, scholastic achievement, academic excellence and community service.
The epitome of an Everyday Champion, Matthews took three international service trips during her time on The Flats, traveling to the Dominican Republic with Fellowship of Christian Athletes to enhance a local community center and build a baseball field dugout, Costa Rica with Jackets Without Borders to construct a multipurpose court and Haiti to distribute prototypes of portable solar charge controllers to families in need.
Matthews also excelled in the classroom, being named a two-time Academic All-American, and has earned two degrees from Georgia Tech – a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2019 and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in May 2021.
The NCAA Woman of the Year was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Support The Swarm Fund, which helps Georgia Tech athletics offset the significant financial challenges associated with Covid-19, and the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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