Female Finalists | Male Finalists | Award History

Champaign, Ill. - The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) announced Wednesday its 2015-16 Newcomers of the Year. Big Ten champion gymnast Alex Diab (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and volleyball standout Jordyn Poulter (Aurora, Colo.) have been named winners of the annual award, presented to the top male and female newcomers competing in their first season with the Fighting Illini. The recipients were selected by vote of Illinois head coaches and the DIA athletics awards committee.

Diab won the still rings title at the 2016 Big Ten Championships, recording a score of 15.125. That was just one of the eight event titles he collected during the season, tying for second-most on the team. He also garnered All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, finishing fifth on high bar with a score of 14.900. Diab won the all-around and floor versus UIC in his collegiate debut, and also won floor and rings titles against No. 1 Oklahoma.

Diab becomes the fourth gymnast in the last five years to win Fighting Illini Male Newcomer of the Year, joining C.J. Maestas (2012), Fred Hartville (2013) and Chandler Eggleston (2014).

Poulter made an immediate impact for the Illini, starting 29 of 32 matches at the setter position while helping the team to a third-straight NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. She directed the Illini offense with 1,088 assists and recorded eight double-doubles on the season, highlighted by career highs of 59 assists and 21 digs vs. No. 4 Minnesota and a 34-assist, 10-dig performance in an NCAA Tournament first-round victory over Southern Illinois. Poulter was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and B1G/Pac-12 All-Tournament Team, and also was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and Big Ten Setter of the Week selection.

Poulter becomes the fifth volleyball player overall and second straight to win Illinois Female Newcomer of the Year, following Kirsten Gleis (1993), Erin Borske (1995), Michelle Bartsch (2009) and Brandi Donnelly (2015).

Fighting Illini Newcomer of the Year Award History