Kirsch excels on the soccer field and classroom

Kat Kirsch, a freshman goal keeper on the women’s soccer team, was recently named Red River Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for Sept. 28-Oct. 4 after a remarkable game against the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB). The Georgetown, Texas, native accounted for nine saves in 110 minutes in goal as the OLLU Saints forged a 0-0 tie against UTB in its first conference match.
  
Kirsch is more than a standout player. She's also a Moye scholar, the recipient of a $15,000 award given to students who score 1220 or higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and boast a high school grade point average of 3.7 or higher.
 
The John Martin Moye Scholar Program is named for the founder of the Sisters of the Congregation of the Divine Providence, whose vision and commitment to service led to the University's founding in 1895. It represents the University's commitment to enroll, serve and reward academically driven, community-oriented, leadership-minded students. Kirsch, a graduate of Flower Mound High School, is majoring in biology.
 
"The purpose of the scholarship program is to reward scholars for their extraordinary achievements," said Michael Acosta, OLLU Vice President for Enrollment Management. "The student recipients have also been encouraged to take a leadership role on campus."
"I was very academically-oriented in high school," said Kirsch, who came to us as a straight-A student from Georgetown. "Sometimes I spent Friday nights doing homework. I think that's helped me in college so far."

There are other star students in athletics. Seven soccer players, six volleyball players, two golfers and one tennis player are on the Dean's List. More than 20 other athletes carry GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Others are recipients of the Providence, Moye, Presidential and AT&T scholarships.

“The addition of 12 scholarship sports the past two years has increased enrollment and enhanced school pride,” said President Tessa Martinez Pollack. “I'm grateful for student-athletes like Kat Kirsch. She is one of many shining "Saints" on our playing fields.”