Atlanta, Georgia - The Collegiate Conference of the South has announced its Woman of the Year with Paige Kluba of the Piedmont University Women's Soccer Team earning the honor.

"We were excited to receive the news that Paige had been named the CCS Woman of the Year," said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jamie Purdy when learning of the news.  "Paige is an incredibly talented now two-time graduate of Piedmont having earned her masters from the University after graduating early.  The type of work ethic it takes to accomplish that feat is obvious but adding on all of her extra curricular activities makes that achievement even more impressive."

Ever a standout on the field for Piedmont as a student-athlete, Kluba was impactful off the field as well serving as the conference's representative on the National Executive Board of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The West Forsyth graduate made an impact early in her career for the Lions helping Piedmont to the 2022 CCS Regular Season and Tournament Championships - the first season in over 20 years that Lions claimed both such titles in the same season. 

When made aware of the honor, Kluba recalled her early days at Piedmont, saying, ""When I first came to Piedmont, I never could have imagined the experiences I would have on campus and in Division III. Throughout my experiences, I have learned not just my role on the field as a constant supporter of my teammates, but also a dedicated friend to those around me.

"I love to work hard and to create success for the organizations I am a part of, but nothing beats helping the people around me to find success."

Kluba completed her undergraduate degree in just three years majoring in Sports and Mass Communications in May of 2025 before returning to earn her Master of Science in Management from the graduate school at Piedmont.  

Also an All-Conference honoree in soccer during her time in Demorest, Kluba truly became an all-around athlete at Piedmont as she picked up a racquet in her final year with the school to also play women's tennis.  

"Paige has had a ton of success in a short amount of time, but I think most of us who know her well are excited to see what she does next," said Head Women's Soccer Coach Timmy McCormack. "She's an incredible person who happens to be a very talented athlete and student but it's where her talent takes her that will be wonderful to see as she returns to campus in the future now as an alumni."

Kluba started her time in Demorest with the women's soccer team after being spotted towards the end of her high school career as a potential fit by Assistant Women's Soccer Coach Stephanie Lamm.  

To no one's surprise, Kluba found herself searching once again in the spring of 2026 for another activity to add to her plate settling on becoming part of the profoundly successful women's tennis team at Piedmont.  

"While I only had the opportunity to coach Paige for one semester, she made a tremendous impact not only on our team but on me personally," said Trey Martin, Piedmont University's Women's Tennis Head Coach when asked of the new and unexpected addition to his program. "When she joined the tennis team, she was learning an entirely new sport, yet she immediately became one of our hardest workers and one of our most enthusiastic supporters during matches.

"It was incredibly rewarding to watch her achieve one of her biggest goals in tennis by competing in—and winning—a conference match.  Paige is truly deserving of this award and should be viewed as a role model for future student-athletes, not only at Piedmont but throughout the NCAA."

The CCS Woman of the Year award recognizes the top female student-athlete for her athletic, academic, service, and leadership involvement during the academic year.  Paige will receive this honor during an on campus ceremony in the fall.


ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, and Piedmont University) and sponsors championships across 16 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
 
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