Lee Ann Cunningham

Classroom

Lee Ann Cunningham was named to the 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team. She was a C-USA All-Academic Team member in 2017 and has twice been named to the C-USA Academic Honor Roll. She has earned C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times.

Character

“Lee Ann is an extremely self-motivated person with high expectations of herself at all times. She is a person who says little but does a lot for any team or organization she is a part of. She is the epitome of how to lead by example and lead quietly. She has high integrity and is one of the most trustworthy people I have ever met/coached. Lee Ann has been an integral part of our team’s success, and has always been loyal to her coaches and her teammates through good times and bad. I expect big things from Lee Ann, mostly because she never settles for achieving anything short of the best she possibly can. She is also extremely personable and thoughtful.” - Head Coach Genny Volpe

Community

Cunningham was a 2018 C-USA Fall Spirit of Service Award Winner. She has contributed more than 100 hours of volunteer work during her time at Rice. The events and activities she has been involved with include the following:
-Catholic Charities English as a Second Language School (Louisville): Organized backpack drive for two years, helped run classes and assisted teachers.
-West University Baptist Church ESL (Houston): Making lesson plans for ESL students, conversing and helping with vocabulary/grammar.
-Rice Volleyball Clinics
-Houston Food Bank: Food preparation and packing lunches for kids.
-Second Presbyterian Church (Louisville): Helping with Sunday school, ushering.
-Hurricane Harvey clean-up
-Fellowship of Christian Athletes
-Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Association: Helping with volleyball camps at home.
-SAAC
-PAIR Houston: After-school program for first-generation kids who need help with homework and learning English.
-The Forge: After-school program for kids in lower socioeconomic areas of Houston. She played volleyball, basketball and read the Bible with the kids.
-Baker Institute of Public Policy: Volunteered to help run events and helped with setting up, catering the food, switching the slides for the participants and taking down the event afterward.

Competition

Cunningham currently ranks No. 2 all-time in career digs at Rice with 1,781 and is second in career digs per set (4.63). She was an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection and an AVCA Southwest Region Honorable Mention honoree in 2018. She was also a C-USA First Team selection in 2018. Cunningham was the 2018-19 Joyce Pounds Hardy Award Winner (the most prestigious Rice female award) and was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week four times in 2018. She was a C-USA All-Conference Second Team selection in 2017 and was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team in 2016.

(All stats as of nomination time.)