She was the best player in the country when playing at Long Beach State, and was the first American woman to become a five-time volleyball Olympian. Her professional playing career overseas extended into her 40s as she piled up accolades stateside, including being inducted into the Long Beach State and Century Club Halls of Fame.

Tonight, in Columbus, Ohio, during its hall of fame induction ceremony, she received an award from USA Volleyball recognizing a different, though equally impressive legacy: Scott’s strength in overcoming difficult turns in her life off the court. She became the inaugural recipient of the USA Volleyball Courage Award.

Scott has endured and triumphed over hard times, both natural and manmade. Her house was destroyed in Louisiana flooding a few years ago, taking all of her playing memorabilia away with it. In November of 2018, Scott was stabbed several times during a violent domestic incident in which her sister, Stefanie Vallery, was killed by her estranged husband.

Scott spent several months in the hospital recovering from injuries related to that attack.

“There are no words to describe how brave Danielle was on that fateful night last November,” said USA Volleyball CEO Jamie Davis in a statement. “She exemplifies everything good about humanity and we couldn’t be prouder to have created a new USA Volleyball Courage Award to recognize her heroic actions. She should be a role model to us all.”