Spartan Volleyball Duo Grabs Major Awards From Tampa Bay Sports Club

TAMPA, Fla. – University of Tampa volleyball players Melissa Vanderhall and Kaleigh Cunningham were each honored at the 49th Annual Sports Club of Tampa Bay Banquet. The event was held at Higgins Hall.

Vanderhall was named the Outstanding Female Amateur Athlete while Cunningham earned the Giving Back to the Community Award. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Ryan Nece shared the award with Cunningham as a co-winner.

Vanderhall, a 5-9 outside hitter, is a junior from Hempstead, N.Y. She earned NCAA South Region and Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year accolades for the second consecutive season, as well as all-SSC first-team honors. On the court, she ranked among the nation’s best in hitting percentage and kills per set. She also earned her second-straight AVCA First-Team All-America award as a junior. An excellent student, Vanderhall was also named first-team academic all-district by ESPN The Magazine in addition to being on the SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Cunningham, a 5-10 outside hitter from Orlando, was also a standout student-athlete. The junior was a second-team All-American and first-team all-SSC selection, though her service off the court garnered additional recognition. She went on three mission trips to Mexico and also did a mission trip to Costa Rica. Her volunteer work also included a stint in New Orleans performing hurricane relief in 2008. Cunningham also assists mentally challenged kids in the Best Buddies program and did community service with the elderly.