CHARLOTTE, N.C. — High Point University's Esprit Cha has been named a Big South Conference nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year, alongside nine other Big South student-athletes, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon.
 
Cha, a four-year women's lacrosse student-athlete, graduated with her B.S. in Biology in December 2024 and is currently working on her MBA in Healthcare Management and applying for medical school.
 
Cha, a team captain, has always been very active in the community. She has volunteered at Little Potion's Farm and Hospice of the Piedmont, organized the annual Mason Run 5K with proceeds dedicated to the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, and was a volunteer Physics tutor as well as a peer mentor for underrepresented students entering STEM at HPU.
 
Additionally, she was involved in various community outreach initiatives like with Habitat for Humanity, West End Ministries Soup Kitchen, High Point Community Clinic and HPU's MLK Day of Giving Seed Packing. Cha also dedicated her time to volunteering with the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute and coaching lacrosse players at Hero's Club. As a senior, she was a vital piece of the HPU women's lacrosse community outreach team.
 
Cha was just as impactful on the field as she represented HPU and Team Korea at the 2022 Women's Lacrosse World Championship. During her four-year career as a Panther, she appeared in 64 games with 41 starts while scoring 131 goals and dishing out 30 assists for 161 points. She also scooped 59 groundballs and caused 31 turnovers.

A native of Elliott, Md., Cha was a two-time IWLCA Academic Honor Roll and Big South All-Conference member. She was named to the Big South First Team and Big South Second Team while also being tabbed to the Big South All-Tournament Team. 
 
About the NCAA Woman of the Year
The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have earned her undergraduate degree by summer 2025.
 
Eligible female student-athletes are nominated by their member schools. Each conference office then reviews the nominations from its core member schools (and sponsored sports) and submits its conference nominee(s) to the NCAA. The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee identifies the Top 30 – 10 from each division and then selects the NCAA Woman of the Year, who is honored during an awards presentation at the NCAA Convention.