Feb. 5, 2010
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Adding another honor to her list of accolades this season, senior volleyball standout Meagan Dooley was named the 2009-2010 Big East Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the league’s Academic Affairs Committee this morning. Dooley is just the fourth Panther student-athlete to earn this distinction and the first since Najuma Fletcher in 1996.
“I’m so happy for Meagan,” Head Coach Toby Rens said. “This is an outstanding honor! Meagan has been the ideal student-athlete during her time here at Pitt. She has been a complete joy to work with and I consider it an honor to have worked with her.”
“It is a great honor to be recognized with such an award,” Dooley said. “It feels good knowing that hard work on and off the court paid off at the end of my career. This is a great way to go out and it means a lot to me.”
Dooley (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) will receive a $4,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies. During her time at Pitt, she has maintained a 4.0 grade point average while pursuing a degree in liberal studies/special education and a children's literature certificate.
The 2009 Big East Player of the Year, Dooley finished her career at Pitt ranked second overall in career total blocks (519), block assists (394) and solo blocks (125). This past season, she set a school record with 168 single-season total blocks.
She spent the season ranked as high as No. 6 in NCAA Division I blocks per game. For her efforts, she earned a nod on the CVU.com Year End top-five list, was an AVCA All-America Third Team selection, AVCA Northeast All-Region First Team honoree and a unanimous All-Big East First Team member.
Her senior season stats include leading the conference in blocks (1.71 per set) and points (4.94 per set), and leading the team in those same categories, as well as overall kills (434).
“This award validates all the hard work, commitment, desire and passion she has shown during her time here at Pitt,” Rens noted. “For her to be considered the very best of the best is truly an honor.
“Meagan has represented the volleyball program, the athletic department and PITT at the highest level. We wish her all the best as she embarks on the next phase of her life. She will be greatly missed.”
Dooley is also a 2009 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America First Team honoree.
