December 2007

Uncompromised Excellence:
Sarah Kirkwood Shines in the Classroom and on the Court

It weighed on her mind. The decision? To spike or swim.

Sarah Kirkwood, with family help and obtainable, yet lofty, academic goals leading the way, eventually settled on a career in volleyball at the University of Virginia.

A glance at the rewritten records in volleyball and the ever-increasing academic accolades offer verification that the Tampa native made the right decision– for U.Va. and Kirkwood.

“I really didn’t know what to expect entering college,” she said. “I have always been very involved in academics and athletics, and so I felt like it was very natural to continue this in a college environment.

“I think that I just approached college with trying to get as much out of it as I could, and I couldn't be more satisfied with my experience here.”

Kirkwood, a cognitive science major in the classroom and an outside hitter on the court, could have pursued a swimming scholarship. Allison Kirkwood, her oldest sister, competed on the swim team at Stanford, but it was her support and wisdom that helped lead Sarah Kirkwood to volleyball and Virginia.

That decision also reunited Sarah Kirkwood with her other sister, Emily, who was already entrenched as the starting setter in Virginia’s program.

“I was definitely torn between volleyball and swimming,” she said. “I knew that I wanted to pick one sport to do in college, and it was definitely a lifestyle choice for me because swimming was a passion of mine. Volleyball is a bit more manageable.

“I am extremely happy with my decision. After I decided, I never really looked back. I think it has worked out for the best for sure.”

It is easy for Kirkwood to stake such a claim-she is a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, an Echols Scholar, a two-time Academic All-American, and earned the right to live on the Lawn as a fourth-year.

Given her demanding schedule, Kirkwood manages time with precision.

“You pick what is a priority to you,” she said. “I approach each day with getting done what needs to be done that day, and often-times I don’t have time for much more, so I try not to get bogged down by the endless amounts of assignments. I take things day by day.

“Sometimes I need to break things down hour by hour, but I think compartmentalizing my life helps me to manage my everyday activities.”

Kirkwood currently has aspirations of playing professional beach volleyball upon graduation. Regardless of the success that follows on that front, a memory made last year in Atlanta with her sister alongside will be tough to top.

“It was my last match with my sister and we beat Georgia Tech in its own gym,” Sarah Kirkwood recounted. “The match ended with my sister setting me, I got a kill. It was a pretty amazing way for my sister and I to wrap up our career together. That definitely has been a highlight of my career.

“I was very lucky to have the opportunity to continue playing with her in college.”

Without a doubt, teachers and coaches at U.Va. are saying the same about experiences with Sarah Kirkwood.

“Sarah will go down in our record books as the most prolific volleyball player U.Va. has ever had,” said head volleyball coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton. “Being at the top of our career kills and career aces, as well as in the top 10 for career digs, is evidence of the impact she has had on our program. She has been an instrumental part of our success the past four seasons.

“The most amazing thing about Sarah is the way she has fully immersed herself in all aspects of U.Va. She is a terrific representative of our team, the athletics department, the University and all NCAA student-athletes.”

—Jay Jenkins