Meni and Taulava Both Named Nominees for MA Sorensen Award

HANOVER, N.H. — Asialeata Meni and Cindy Taulava of the Dartmouth women's rugby team were among the 17 athletes nationwide announced as nominees for the MA Sorensen Award, which is presented annually to the top women's collegiate rugby player in the country.

The Big Green hope to have their third MA Sorensen recipient in program history, and second in the last three years. Idia Ihensekhien '21 was the 2021 honoree and current assistant coach Emily Henrich was Dartmouth's first-ever winner in 2019.

Both were recently honored by the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association's (NIRA) announcement of its 2023 All-Americans, with Meni earning First Team honors and Taulava landing an honorable mention.

Meni scored a team-best 50 points with 10 tries, including one in the NIRA Semifinal against Quinnipiac, which helped the Big Green clinch their third straight championship appearance. Taulava, a first-year standout, totaled nine tries, including four in the postseason.

A smaller group of finalists will be announced at a later date. Ariana Ramsey '22 and Kristin Bitter '23 were both nominees in 2023, and Bitter was eventually one of five finalists.

2024 MA SORENSEN AWARD NOMINEES
Akliah Cathey – Brown
Alivia Leatherman – Notre Dame College
Alyssa Cunningham – Sacred Heart
Amy Brice – Lindenwood
Ashley Cowdry – Davenport
Cindy Taulava – Dartmouth
Ember Larson – Michigan
Freda Tafuna – Lindenwood
Kat Storey – Quinnipiac
Kat Stowers – BYU
Lennox London – Harvard
Matilda Kojac – Life
Nikki Lynch – Brown
Asialeata Meni – Dartmouth
Taina Tukuafu – Lindenwood
Tessa Hann – Central Washington
Tiahna Padilla - Harvard

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