CARROLLTON, Ga. - The 2020 WESTPY Awards virtual presentation continues with the announcement of one of the top awards given each year at the WESTPY Awards. The Women's Career Achievement Award recognizes the top graduating senior female athlete who spent her entire career at the University of West Georgia, and this year, UWG Athletics presents the award to
Madi Fleming.
A setter and coaches' daughter from Columbus, Ga., Fleming was a starter from Day 1 at West Georgia. She split time on the floor with various setters in her first three years of playing in The Coliseum and saved the best for last. As a senior in 2019, she led the Wolves to the most Gulf South Conference victories in school history (13) as UWG earned the third seed at the 2019 Gulf South Conference Tournament.
Just before the tournament, she was named GSC Offensive Player of the Week, then was named the Conference Setter of the Year and First Team All-GSC just 24 hours later. But that wasn't enough for Fleming, as she paced the Wolves to power through the Gulf South Conference tournament with a five-set win against Auburn-Montgomery in the first round. The second round opponent was Alabama Huntsville, a team that had handed UWG two losses in the regular season. Four sets later and the Wolves were headed to the championship match against top seed West Florida.
The Wolves won the first set against the defending GSC champs, then fell in consecutive sets by lopsided scores. Fleming rallied the Wolves in the fourth set for a 25-22 victory to force a fifth and deciding set. West Florida pulled away in the final set, but Fleming and middle hitter
Tierra White were each named to the Gulf South Conference All-Tournament Team. The postseason honors continued to pour in following that performance, as she was also named Honorable Mention All-Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Past Women's Career Achievement Award winners include:
Amina Saunders (Track & Field), Cari Powell (Soccer),
Danielle Easterly (Softball), Lola Uribe Astolfi (Golf), among others.
2020 WESTPY Awards
Outstanding Women's Team of Service - Softball (May 1)
Outstanding Men's Team of Service - Men's Basketball (May 1)
Women's Career Achievement Award -
Madi Fleming, Volleyball (May 5)
Next Up: Men's Career Achievement Award (May 8)
