The Honda Award honors the most outstanding female collegiate athletes in the nation, with winners chosen in each of the 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports every year, including softball. In keeping with the tradition of excellence that is Nebraska softball, the Huskers have had one recipient of the award and four nominations in program history.

The winner of the award is "selected not only for their superior athletic skills, but also for their leadership abilities, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community," according to Honda, the official sponsor of the award.

Denise Day, the first All-American in school history, as well as the first academic All-American, was the Huskers' first nominee in 1985. Day is also the lone student-athlete in program history to take home the prestigious honor. In her senior season, Day hit .359 with a then-school record 11 home runs to lead NU to a national-runner up finish at the Women's College World Series.

Just three years later, Lori Sippel was nominated for the award. Although she was not selected as the recipient, Sippel did take home the GTE Academic All-American-of-the-Year award in 1988. Sippel was a two-time All-American and finished the 1988 season with a 22-11 record with a 0.83 ERA and a total of 285 strikeouts, which stood as the single-season NU record until 2004. Sippel helped NU to the Big Eight Conference championship and a fifth-place finish at the WCWS that season.

Three-time All-American Ali Viola was the last Husker to be nominated for the award, when she was selected as a finalist in 1998. Viola ranks among the greatest offensive players in NCAA history, as she still ranks in the top 10 in several categories to this day. Viola capped her career by earning Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors in 1998, finishing with a .424 average and a school-record 22 home runs.

Jordy Bahl is the Huskers' most recent nominee, as she was put up for the award in 2025. Bahl was the NFCA National Player of the Year that year, along with the Big Ten Player of the Year and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. She was also one of three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. Bahl broke numerous program records in 2025 -- batting average (.346), runs scored (72), home runs (23), extra-base hits (41), total bases (167) and slugging percentage (.988). 

Below is a chart honoring the Day, Sippel and Viola. For more information on each player, simply click on their name.