Walsh is just the second Fightin' Blue Hens volleyball player to receive a conference scholar-athlete of the year award, joining Kathy Shaw who earned the distinction in 1994 from the North Atlantic Conference.
Over the past four years, Walsh, an economics major from Cleveland, has excelled both on and off the volleyball court. For her success in the classroom, she was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) District 2 All-Academic team in November.
A dean's list student and perennial CAA Academic Honor Roll selection, Walsh has served as the vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council the past two years and has helped the group raise thousands of dollars for charity, including the Delaware Special Olympics. Walsh is also a member of Delaware Christian Athletes, and has volunteered her time with several organizations.
Walsh led the 2007 UD volleyball team to a 31-5 record, its first CAA championship, and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. She was named the conference player of the year and was also selected honorable mention American Volleyball Coaches Association All-East. During the championship season, she recorded a conference-best 564 kills. Her 4.34 kills-per-game average was second in the conference, while her .267 hitting percentage was third on the team and sixth in the conference.
She finished her standout four-year career with 1,856 kills, besting Karen Kunselman's previous school record of 1,553 set from 1993-96. Her 3.85 kills-per-game average also set a new record.
One competitor from each CAA sport is selected as the scholar-athlete of the year based on academics, athletics and community service. To be eligible, scholar-athletes must have a minimum grade point index of 3.2, be a starter or key reserve, and have at least sophomore class standing. The recipients are selected from a vote of the conference sports information directors.
In addition to Walsh, the CAA also honored James Madison's Kelsey Cutchins (field hockey), Hofstra's Sue Weber (women's soccer), Georgia State's Rachel Hannah (women's cross country), and William and Mary's Ryan Overdevest (men's soccer) and Christo Landry (men's cross country).
For more information on UD athletics, see [www.udel.edu/sportsinfo].
