NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Illinois Wesleyan women's volleyball student-athlete Tyler Brown has been chosen as the 2019 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Woman of the Year and will now represent the conference as a nominee for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Brown was chosen through a voting process conducted by the CCIW's Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives. She was selected among a group of five other nominees including Augustana's Izzy Anderson (women's basketball), Carthage's Sarah Lyman (women's golf), Elmhurst's Sidney O'Keeffe (women's soccer), North Park's Mia Riccolo (women's track & field), and Wheaton's Kelly Thornton (softball).

The Woman of the Year award honors senior female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. 

A native of Normal, Illinois and Normal West High School, Brown graduated from Illinois Wesleyan this past May with a 3.46 grade-point average as an Accounting major. She was a member of the Dean's List three times and was a Google Cloud Academic All-District selection this past season. A four-time selection to the CCIW Academic All-Conference Team, Brown was also a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success. 

She earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First Team All-America honors three-straight years and was the Titans' Most Valuable Player for all four years of her collegiate playing career. A four-time CCIW All-Conference performer, including three-straight First Team selections, Brown was named the conference's Player of the Year in 2018 and ended her career as the school's all-time leader in kills (1,777), points (1,955.5) and digs (1,987). Illinois Wesleyan advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship three times in her career including the regional final in 2018. 

Brown was an active member in the community as she volunteered as a volleyball official for 5th and 6th graders at Eastview Christian Church, and helped kindergartners with reading and writing activities at Colene Hoose Elementary School. She also took part in Illinois Wesleyan's Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics and the athletic department's Trick or Treat for Canned Goods program that collected food for the local food pantry.

She cooked dinner for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield, Illinois, helped Special Olympic athletes play baseball in the Miracle League, participated in the St. Jude Walk to support a young girl fighting cancer, the JDRF Walk to help raise awareness of childhood diabetes, and a Buddy Walk where she walked with a young friend named Seth, who has down syndrome and is a supporter of the Illinois Wesleyan volleyball program. 

Additionally, Brown was the Vice President of Finance for Alpha Gamma Delta where she was responsible for creating the chapter budget, collecting dues, and monitoring the sorority's bank account. She interned as an audit accountant for Deloitte and was responsible for communicating with clients, creating work papers, and helping with other various tasks as assigned. 

Brown's nomination moves onto the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee, which is made up of representatives from the NCAA membership. The committee chooses the top 30 honorees including 10 from each division. From the top 30, the committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year.
 
The top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual award ceremony October 20 in Indianapolis.

CCIW Woman of the Year Winners
2018-19 – Tyler Brown – Illinois Wesleyan (Volleyball)
2017-18 – Amelia Glueck – Illinois Wesleyan (Track & Field)
2016-17 – Meg Stanley – Illinois Wesleyan (Swimming)
2015-16 – Jill Harmon – Illinois Wesleyan (Track & Field)
2014-15 – Kelsey Graham – Wheaton (Soccer)
2013-14 – Lexi Baltes – Illinois Wesleyan (Basketball)
2012-13 – Elise Anderson – Illinois Wesleyan (Cross Country/Track & Field)
2011-12 – Lauren Knaack – Illinois Wesleyan (Soccer)
2010-11 – Elizabeth Ave Maria – Illinois Wesleyan (Cross Country/Track & Field)
2009-10 – Lindsey Haines – Illinois Wesleyan (Golf)
2008-09 – Nicole Spear – Illinois Wesleyan (Golf)
2007-08 – Sarah Richardson – Wheaton (Soccer)
2006-07 – Meghan Voiland – Augustana (Track & Field)
2005-06 – Melinda Sprague – Illinois Wesleyan (Cross Country/Track & Field)

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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2017-18 academic year, the CCIW honored over 2,100 academic all-conference recipients, 15 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 28 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, and over 100 all-Americans.