VILLANOVA, Pa.—Two members of the Villanova softball senior class were among the top award winners on Monday night at Finneran Pavilion as Villanova Athletics held its annual celebration to recognize the career accomplishments of the graduating Class of 2023. Chloe Smith was named the Female Senior Student-Athlete of the Year winner and Victoria Sebastian was announced as this year's Female winner of the prestigious Sister Mary Margaret Cribben Award.
 
The Senior Student-Athlete of the Year Award is the highest honor Villanova Athletics bestows upon its student-athletes. The two individuals honored with the award have excelled in the classroom and in athletic competition. They have made significant contributions to their teams and to the University as a whole, and the award winners have established themselves as true leaders on their teams and ultimate competitors as athletes. As representatives of the Class of 2023, the winners of the Senior Student-Athlete of the Year Award have exhibited a true passion for Villanova and will leave a lasting impact on their sport programs for many years to come.
 
Smith will graduate this week with a Bachelor Science degree in Nursing. She has made the Dean's List twice during her undergraduate career and has been accepted to a M.S. in Nursing graduate program which will allow her to return for a fifth varsity season. Smith has earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Academic Team every year and is a five-time selection to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
 
On the field, Smith has been part of the most successful teams in the history of Villanova Softball. She helped the Wildcats win the first two BIG EAST titles in program history in consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022. Each of those teams advanced to NCAA regional competition, while this year Villanova wo 37 games and advanced to the BIG EAST championship game.
 
Smith has played in 192 games during her Wildcats career and is a .321 career hitter with totals of 198 hits, 120 runs scored and 111 runs batted in. She was named to the NFCA Mideast All-Region first team as a sophomore in 2021 and was selected to the All-BIG EAST second team as a junior last year. Smith earned a spot on the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team last year and is a two-time BIG EAST weekly award winner.
 
The second major award of the night for the softball team was presented to Sebastian as the Female Sister Mary Margaret Cribben Award winner. This award was established by Villanova Athletics in 1985 to honor an outstanding Male and Female student-athlete each year. The recipients of the Sister Cribben Award are described as unselfishly sacrificing time, effort, body and soul to lead and motivate their teammates in excelling for Villanova through inspiration.
 
Sister Mary Margaret Cribben was a campus staple for decades and a member of the Mercy Sister RSM order. She was a beloved sister and faculty member who taught countless student-athletes during her years at Villanova, and would often offer support, care and concern throughout her many roles on campus. Sister Cribben could be seen cheering on the Wildcats student-athletes from the sidelines and was a source of inspiration for everyone within Villanova Athletics.
 
"The description of the Sister Mary Margaret Cribben Award is exactly how I would describe Victoria," head softball coach Bridget Orchard said. "She is the ultimate teammate; trustworthy, hard-working and committed."
 
Earlier this Spring, Sebastian was named a winner of the Bartley Medallion, named after the founding Dean of the Villanova School of Business and awarded annually by the faculty of the school in recognition of outstanding achievement in a specific discipline. It is the highest distinction the school can bestow upon a graduating student and serves as a visible reflection to the life of the school community.
 
Sebastian has been a two-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete, a three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member and has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester of her time on campus. On the softball field she earned second team All-BIG EAST honors for the first time in her career as a senior this year. Originally recruited as a pitcher, she transitioned to first base at the collegiate level and last year was the inaugural winner of a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the best defensive player in the country at her position.
 
"Victoria has had so many ups and downs over the last four years and has proven that hard work pays off in overcoming obstacles," Orchard said. "She has sacrificed playing time for everyone else on the team and I always see her, early in the morning and at every possible moment, studying at hotels, in airports and on buses during all of our road trips.