The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Valbak Receives AAC Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award
7/9/2024 10:02:00 AM | Softball
IRVING – UAB Softball's Olivia Valbak was honored with the 2024 Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award by the American Athletic Conference on Tuesday morning.
The AAC Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Awards are given annually to one male and one female student-athlete from an AAC-sanctioned sport. The athletes must be admitted to a degree-granting or professional program following their undergraduate journey. Valbak will receive a $5,000 scholarship applied to her postgraduate studies.
A pitcher/utility from Ashburn, Virginia, Valbak graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cancer Biology. Valbak has contributed in the circle and at shortstop, pitching 216 innings in the circle for the Blazers. Olivia posted four saves as a freshman, the third most in program history, and two walk-offs versus Samford and FIU in her junior year. In 2023, she threw a perfect game against Butler, her first complete game of three in 2023. She finished with a C-USA All-Conference second team that same year.
Valbak batted .266 her senior year and finished with five wins in the circle. She finished with a season-high eight strikeouts and seven assists at shortstop.
Off the field, Olivia graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cancer Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Biology. She finished with a 3.97 GPA, Summa Cum Laude, and is a presidential merit scholarship recipient.
She's contributed countless hours to research with the
UAB Cancer Research Lab. She presented research findings in Portland, Oregon at the U01 Conference sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and volunteered at Brookwood Baptist in Homewood.
She plans to pursue her medical studies further in the fall.
The AAC Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Awards are given annually to one male and one female student-athlete from an AAC-sanctioned sport. The athletes must be admitted to a degree-granting or professional program following their undergraduate journey. Valbak will receive a $5,000 scholarship applied to her postgraduate studies.
A pitcher/utility from Ashburn, Virginia, Valbak graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cancer Biology. Valbak has contributed in the circle and at shortstop, pitching 216 innings in the circle for the Blazers. Olivia posted four saves as a freshman, the third most in program history, and two walk-offs versus Samford and FIU in her junior year. In 2023, she threw a perfect game against Butler, her first complete game of three in 2023. She finished with a C-USA All-Conference second team that same year.
Valbak batted .266 her senior year and finished with five wins in the circle. She finished with a season-high eight strikeouts and seven assists at shortstop.
Off the field, Olivia graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cancer Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Biology. She finished with a 3.97 GPA, Summa Cum Laude, and is a presidential merit scholarship recipient.
She's contributed countless hours to research with the
UAB Cancer Research Lab. She presented research findings in Portland, Oregon at the U01 Conference sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and volunteered at Brookwood Baptist in Homewood.
She plans to pursue her medical studies further in the fall.
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