May 14, 2010
Contact: Greg Murphy
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kayla Lefeld, who earned four letters in volleyball at Cleveland State, has been named the co-Valedictorian of the Class of 2010 at Cleveland State University.
Lefeld, who will be receiving a bachelor of mathematics and Science in Middle Childhood Education, will deliver the valedictory address at the CSU commencement exercises on Saturday, May 15, at the Wolstein Center. The ceremony will begin at 9:00 a.m.
She carried a 3.84 grade point average heading into her final semester at CSU.
"I am very honored and humbled to have earned the co-valedictorian award at Cleveland State," Lefeld said. "I have always strived to be the best whether it was in the classroom or on the field. Balancing academics, athletics and extracurriculars over the last four years has not been easy and I feel that this award is a product of hard work and never giving up when things got tough in school or because of injuries."
The St. Henry, Ohio, native has successfully juggled the academic, athletic and community standards throughout her four years at CSU and continued to show what hard work and dedication could lead to on the floor.
After serving as a reserve outside hitter for the first two plus seasons of her career, injuries forced her into the starting lineup during her junior year and she responded by becoming one of the top all-around players in the Horizon League.
Lefeld played in 30 matches in 2008, finishing third on the team with 263 kills and fourth with 193 digs. She was also third in the league and 150th in the nation in aces (0.32) with a team-high tying 35.
She was slated to be a starting outside hitter as a senior, but a torn ACL just days before preseason practice began in August forced her to miss the first 31 matches of the season before she returned to the court to start on Senior Night against Youngstown State on Nov. 13, playing the first point of the match.
She finished her career at CSU with 497 kills, 333 digs, 73 service aces and 88 blocks in 88 career matches.
Lefeld was also very active in the community during her time at CSU, serving as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, including the role of secretary this past year.
"Earning this award is the epitome of what Kayla is as a person and as a student-athlete," CSU head volleyball coach Chuck Voss said. "Throughout her career, she has worked extremely hard in every facet of her life. She has excellent grades, genuine school and community spirit and a real will to succeed in whatever she is doing. We are extremely proud of what Kayla accomplished during her career and Cleveland State and wish her nothing but success after graduation."
