2008 Female Amateur Athlete of the Year

Monica Abbott

In her senior season with the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer softball team, Monica Abbott won the 2007 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year trophy in May and was named the 2006-2007 Roy F. Kramer SEC Female Athlete of the Year in June.

Also in June, the Salinas, California native won the prestigious Honda Award for softball after registering a national-best 50-5 overall record with a 0.68 ERA and 29 shutouts to go along with a NCAA Division I single-season record 724 strikeouts during her senior season.
 

Abbott led her team to the 2007 Women's College World Series, a runner-up national finish, and the 2007 SEC regular-season title. She ended the 2007 season having set new NCAA Division I career records for wins (189), strikeouts (2,440), shutouts (112), appearances (253) and innings pitched (1448). Abbott is also the Lady Vols' first four-time NFCA First-Team Softball All-American, as well as being a three-time SEC Pitcher of the Year winner and four-time All-SEC pick.

  
As a member of the U.S. national team, she found similar success. Throughout the month of July, which saw Team USA win three gold medals, Abbott led the way for the pitching staff. She posted a team-best 6-0 record in seven appearances. She was the only pitcher on the staff who allowed no walks during her appearances.