Hofstra's Kelsie Wills was the CAA Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Ritchie & Wills Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year
Kelly McCarthy
RICHMOND, Va. (July 23, 2015) – Volleyball standout Kelsie Wills of Hofstra University and women’s tennis ace Alyssa Ritchie of UNCW have been selected as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) nominees for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award program is in its 25th year and recognizes senior student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. In order to be eligible for the award, nominees must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport, graduated no later than the end of the 2015 summer term and achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5.
Wills had an outstanding senior season for Hofstra in 2014. She became the second-ever American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American in program history after leading the Pride to a CAA Championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The outside hitter was also named to the AVCA All-East Region team, becoming just the seventh player in school history to earn AVCA All-Region accolades. The 2014 CAA Player of the Year and an All-CAA First Team selection, Wills led Hofstra with 506 kills, while ranking second in service aces (30), third in digs (312) and fourth in blocks (68). Wills was one of two recipients of Hofstra’s Dr. Nathalie J. Smith Award, presented annually to the Pride’s top female athlete.
The Matamata, New Zealand native closed her career as the program's all-time leader in kills with 1,942. Wills is one of only six players in program history to total at least 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs as she picked up 1,226 digs during her four seasons. The three-time All-CAA First Team selection is also the first player in program history with three seasons of 500 or more kills.
In the classroom, Wills was a Dean's List student, earning her degree in accounting with a minor in finance with a 3.40 cumulative grade point average. She was chosen as the 2014 CAA Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and has been a CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient on multiple occasions.
A two-year captain, Wills has been an outstanding student leader in and around the Hofstra community during her time as a student-athlete. She has spent time volunteering with the Long Island Cradle of Aviation, the Long Island Children's Museum and the North Shore LIJ Health System. She has taken visits to elementary schools to read to children, stressing the importance of a strong balance between education and athletics. Wills has also volunteered at the Annual CAA Food Drive Challenge, as well as with the Hofstra University It’s On Us campaign, among other service efforts.
Ritchie excelled in both the classroom and on the court. The biology major posted a 3.97 grade point average while going undefeated in conference play and landing First-Team All-CAA honors in singles competition during her senior season. Ritchie was named the CAA’s Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a recipient of UNCW’s prestigious Chancellor's Cup Award as the top female student-athlete for the year. She was also selected to the Capital One Academic All-District 3 Women's At-Large Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Ritchie, who will be attending the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in the fall, was active in the community as well. She was a Big Buddy for the Cape Fear Volunteer Center Big Buddy Mentorship Program, a medical assistant at the St. Mary Health Center for the Uninsured and an intern at the Bread for Life, a food pantry for the elderly. Ritchie was also involved with the Miracle League of Wilmington and Habitat for Humanity.
On the court, the Franklin, Ohio native went 14-3 overall in singles play, including a perfect CAA record, and notched a 13-4 mark in doubles play. Ritchie, a four-time All-CAA selection, concluded an outstanding four-year career with the Seahawks atop the leaderboard in doubles play (54-20) and tied for third all-time in singles (62-13).
A record 147 student-athletes across NCAA Division I, II, and III were nominated by their conferences. The top 30 honorees, 10 per division, will be announced in August followed by the top three per division in early September. The NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at a dinner in Indianapolis on October 18.