Jonni Parker Named Finalist For Senior CLASS Award

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Penn State women’s volleyball standout Jonni Parker is among 10 finalists for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award.

Parker hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Nittany Lion Haleigh Washington, who won the award in 2017. The winner of this year’s award will be announced during the NCAA tournament in December.

Parker is notably joined on the list of finalists by Wisconsin stars Sydney Hilley and Dana Rettke, as well as Utah’s Dani Drews, Kentucky’s Alli Stumler, and Pitt’s Kayla Lund, among others.

Parker is well on her way to leading the Nittany Lions in kills for the fourth straight season. She currently has 314 kills so far this fall heading into Penn State’s home matches against Michigan and Michigan State this weekend. Parker surpassed 1,000 career kills early in the season.

The Penn State program is holding its second Silent Set match versus the Spartans this Saturday in order to honor and raise awareness for the hearing-impaired community.

Parker is an excellent role model for the next generation of volleyball players and young athletes in general, showing them you can accomplish great things with some determination and a positive mindset. Parker always spends time talking to fans and taking photos after home matches.

Parker recently announced the creation of a non-profit organization called Chasing Greatness that aims to “create funding opportunities for hearing aids and the enhancement of life skills,” according to an Instagram post by Parker Thursday.

Parker, an early childhood education major from Casstown, Ohio, is in the midst of her student teaching this semester at an area elementary school. Parker, who is a three-time captain alongside Gabby Blossom, has been able to balance a hectic schedule and still perform at an incredibly high level on the court this season.

Russ Rose discussed Parker’s impact on the Nittany Lions during his Tuesday press conference earlier this week.

“She has a way of impacting the people who she plays with and the people who she’s around,” Rose said. “Not everybody has that intangible.”