Mahaffey Excels On and Off the Court

On the court, defensive specialist Michelle Mahaffey concentrates on making as many defensive back-row gems as she can. In the classroom, she concentrates on earning high scholastic marks. Either way, she does pretty well.

In 2002, Mahaffey is enjoying a senior season with a new opportunity as a libero. With her added time on the court, she recorded career-high 15 dig efforts on back-to-back nights at the Mizuno Classic. She has played in all 29 games thus far and is averaging 2.49 digs per game.

In April, she was named the 2002 Kimball Memorial Award recipient. The award is given annually to the BYU male or female athlete who has lettered at least twice and has the highest scholarly achivement. Michelle was honored on April 3 at the annual Cougar Club Athletic Awards Banquet.

A Cougar Club Scholar Athlete, Michelle is a top student sporting a 3.87 grade point average as a physical education major with a public school teaching emphasis. Proving she can adjust to a new environment, she had a 3.98 GPA semester as a freshman. Mahaffey has consistently proven her ability to excel in the classroom. In fact, she has never had a GPA below a 3.81 in her five semesters at BYU.

A three-year letterwinner entering the 2002 season, Mahaffey has been a valuable member of the women's volleyball team. After making the switch from setter to defensive specialist once she arrived at BYU, she has provided solid defense when called upon on the backrow. She is a good passer and a smart server.

One reason for her success, both in the classroom and on the court, has been her discipline. She is very coachable and gives her best effort at all times. She is very determined and is always willing to do whatever is asked of her to help her team succeed. She is the kind of player everyone respects because she works so hard and is always positive. She is a true team player.

"Michelle has a wonderful attitude and is a great example and leader for her teammates," said Elaine Michaelis, recently retired BYU women's volleyball coach and current director of women's athletics. "She is an excellent student and makes a nice contribution to our team's success on the court."

A 5-foot-6 junior, Mahaffey averaged 1.0 digs per game in 2001, playing in 15 matches. She appeared in 12 matches over her first two seasons, including BYU's upset of No. 1 Stanford during the 2000 Mizuno Classic in Provo.

A native of Martinez, Calif., Michelle married Chad Mahaffey in July 2001.