Miami Ohio University Athletics
STRAIGHT A TEAM: Catherine Wolfe
6/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
June 24, 2008
This is the 14th in a series of 16 features about Miami University's brightest student-athletes. Their exceptional academic performance during the recently completed spring semester earned them a spot on the roster of the RedHawks' exclusive Straight A Team. In addition to their rigorous schedules on the athletic fields, each of these individuals earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average this past semester. Overall, during the 2007-08 academic year, Miami's 500-plus student-athletes earned an impressive cumulative 3.0 GPA in the classroom.
The entire 2007-08 school year was a year to remember for Catherine Wolfe. Wolfe, a junior on Miami University's volleyball team, was a part of Miami's run to a Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament in the fall semester, before excelling off the court with a 4.0 GPA in the spring semester. While the academic and athletic highlights of the past year are enjoyable, the journey has made the experience much more worth while.
Before transferring to Miami in the fall of 2007, Wolfe played volleyball at the University of Akron. During her first year at Akron, Wolfe was a pre-med major, but after a year she switched to early childhood education.
"I enjoyed the science classes, but I knew that pre-med was not the major I wanted to be in for four years," Wolfe said. "I changed my major to early childhood education at the start of my sophomore year and enjoyed the different classes."
During her first two seasons at Akron on the court, Wolfe battled through a shoulder and a knee surgery, limiting her playing time. After battling back from a shoulder reconstructive surgery and a knee surgery at Akron, Wolfe felt that Miami was a better fit for the remainder of her collegiate career and transferred closer to her Cincinnati home at the end of the 2006-07 school year.
This past fall, Wolfe walked on to the Miami volleyball team and felt comfortable right away as seniors Carli Reihman and Jeanna Staun and junior Melissa Zenz were former high school teammates of Wolfe's at Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati. Wolfe played in ten games, averaging 1.0 kill per game this season, before another shoulder injury sidelined her at the end of the season. Regardless of the injury, Wolfe was a part of Miami's first MAC Tournament crown since 1998.
"It is hard to describe the feeling going from a 1-15 season to winning the MAC Championship." Wolfe stated. "Miami has given me the athletic experiences that I have always desired."
While her fall semester was filled with athletic accomplishments, the spring semester was filled with academic accomplishments after earning a 4.0 GPA. Wolfe's course load included art experience in early childhood, psychology and learners with exception, foundations in reading language and literacy, early childhood education, teaching and music skills and early childhood physical education.
"Last semester, all my classes were toward my major and it was the best one so far in my academic career," Wolfe said. "Having transferred and being behind on credits, it was a relief to finally be taking all classes toward my degree. I met several teachers that motivated me and I plan on keeping in contact with them throughout my academic and future careers."
This summer, Wolfe is taking classes on campus, while preparing for her senior season. After school is complete, Wolfe plans to teach in Cincinnati, while exploring possible opportunities to earn a master's degree in education.
Name: Catherine Wolfe Hometown / High School / Last School: Cincinnati, Ohio / Ursuline Academy / Akron Major: Early Childhood Education Spring Semester GPA: 4.0
