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When Bayleigh Braswell was named head coach of the women’s volleyball team at Johns Hopkins University in February 2025, she met with then junior middle blocker Alice Yu to discuss what the team wanted, needed and expected from its new coach. The key word in the gym became “trust,” and Yu became someone Braswell could speak with about team dynamics.
“All of us — the six freshmen, the transfers and me — only had one year with Alice, but we all felt her impact,” says Braswell. “Her presence is going to be felt in the gym — if I can help it — for as long as I’ll be here and then hopefully even after that.”
In recognition of her on-court accomplishments, which included four trips to the Division III NCAA Tournament, her focus on being a great teammate, her ability to balance volleyball with the demanding major of biomedical engineering, and her extensive commitment to community service, Alice Yu has been named the 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year.
Growing up in San Diego and excelling at volleyball, Yu knew she wanted to play in college but also placed a priority on academics. Johns Hopkins provided the perfect balance. “We play at the highest level of D-III volleyball,” Yu says. “The fact that I could do both of those things at the same place, and there are so many opportunities for research that Hopkins also provides, was a huge pull.”
Yu been on the dean’s list all seven of her completed semesters. She has been named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll the last three years and was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team as a senior. There has also been a significant amount of community service.
“She’s excellent in every area, but it’s how she treats other people and relates to other people that makes her stand out,” says Allison Fondale, associate director of athletics/leadership & sports performance, who has overseen Yu’s community engagement activities. Yu has been a Team IMPACT fellow, an organization that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, attending the Team IMPACT leadership summit last summer. This year, the athletic department launched a middle school leadership program in which 13 Johns Hopkins student-athletes met with students from a nearby school to discuss leadership and teamwork topics. Yu not only participated but took an active role in developing the programming. She has also been a volunteer at the adult emergency department at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
“Everything that I do in terms of community service is things I care about,” says Yu. “It’s compelling for me and I feel fulfilled by it. When it comes to my involvement with Team IMPACT and other things, I feel it’s really important for me to not only be able to give as much as I can into the activity but also feel a connection to the people.”
When asked about a memorable moment with the volleyball team, Yu speaks of a trip to California during her sophomore season to compete in the East West Classic. While the wins were great, her highlight was the team bonding. “We were on the beach having the best time,” she says. “Besides California, there are so many other smaller things, like movie nights.”
Leading by example was her style, but Yu has also created a tremendous support system for other players in her same position. There were four other middle blockers.
They were able to have vulnerable conversations and learn from one another because Alice set the tone, says Braswell. “It carried over to the rest of the team.
That’s going to be her biggest legacy, setting the culture of our team so they can talk to each other the way they need to in order to win.”
After graduation, Yu will move back to California where she has a position conducting clinical research at University of California, San Diego. Her interest is in pediatrics with the goal of attending medical school, beginning in the fall of 2027.
