Surprise, Ariz. — Catawba College senior Jacy Noble is the recipient of the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Elite Scholar-Athlete award, the NCAA announced at the Division II Tennis National Championships banquet Monday evening.

A native of Norwood, N.C., Noble currently holds a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA in Biology.

The Elite Scholar-Athlete award recognizes the true essence of student-athletes by honoring the individuals who have reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. The Elite Scholar-Athlete award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above academically who have participated in a sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken based on the number of credits completed.

In addition to being a member of the women's tennis program, Noble served this past year as the president of Catawba's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also is a member of the Honors Council, a tutor at the SMART Center and a Student-Leader in the Service Scholars program.

Catawba opens up play at the DII National Championships at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday (8 a.m. MST) against 13th-seed Queens (N.Y.).