Ariel Turner is one of 30 candidates for 2012 Senior CLASS Award

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A leader on the court and in the classroom, senior outside hitter Ariel Turner is one of 30 candidates chosen for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award, which honors student-athletes for their achievements in community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their community.

The 2012 candidate class includes 16 AVCA All-Americans from last season, including Turner, who garnered first team accolades. Turner is the lone member of the candidate pool that received Capital One Academic All-America honors in 2011, although 24 of them boast a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better.

Turner is the epitome of a true student-athlete, garnering both First Team All-America and second team Academic All-America honors in 2011. A mechanical engineering major on track to graduate in May 2013, she has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors the last two seasons. Despite the demands of balancing athletics and a challenging mechanical engineering course load, Turner earned dean’s list, semester honors and AD honor roll accolades from 2009 to 2011 and was on the coach’s honor roll in spring 2012. Turner is the first dual academic and athletic All-American for Purdue volleyball since 1984.

The outside hitter headlines the Purdue volleyball roster. The 2011 Big Ten Player of the Year ranked in the top six nationally in kills per set (6th, 4.84) and points per set (3rd , 5.46), while leading the Big Ten in both categories. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., native was named Big Ten Player of the Week a league record-tying five times in 2011.

Turner set a Purdue season record for hitting attempts with 1,682 in 2011, snapping a 32-year old mark. She led the Boilermakers in kills per set with 4.84, ranking second on the Purdue season list, while standing second on the squad with 2.84 digs per set. Turner is one 15 Boilermaker players to have posted more than 1,000 kills and 500 digs in her career with 1,485 and 771 respectively.

All told, she has posted double-figure kill tallies in 86 matches, including 20 or more 17 times, while also adding double-digit dig tallies in 27 matches. Turner owns two spots among the Purdue match records for hitting attempts with 85 and 81, which is the four-set match record.

Thus far in 2012, Turner is averaging a team-best 3.94 kills per set, while hitting at a .251 clip, serving up a team-leading 14 aces and adding 2.41 digs per set, second most on the team.

The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot, which will be voted upon by media, coaches and fans.