BETHLEHEM, Pa. – American women's volleyball's Katie Putney, Army West Point women's swimming and diving's Angela Huang and Maya Amersi, and Lafayette men's tennis's Josh Wolfe were chosen as the 2022-23 Patriot League Sportsmanship Award recipients when the League office announced honors. Putney, Huang, Amersi and Wolfe were selected by administrators of the League's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Putney is the third American student-athlete to receive the League-wide accolade. Huang and Amersi join a group of four Army West Point student-athletes to earn the award, while Wolfe is the third Lafayette student-athlete to receive the Sportsmanship Award.
The Patriot League Award is in its 18th year after being created to honor student-athletes that uphold the principles on which the League was founded – fairness, equality, and excellence in academics and athletics, in addition to the NCAA's core principles of respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. The League's 10 full-member institutions are eligible to nominate one male and one female student-athlete. Patriot League teams from associate members are also eligible to nominate for the annual honor.
In Putney's junior season, she ranked fourth on the American women's volleyball team with 101 kills and third with 50 blocks. While the psychology major's strong play on the court speaks for itself, it is her kindness, people and team-first mentality that makes her truly extraordinary.
"For our team, Katie is the glue," says teammate Rachel Bennett. "She is someone everyone can trust and the person you go to when you need a positive shift in your day. She genuinely wants to see every person on the team succeed."
Assistant Coach Sarah Yiljep noted, "She is a good listener, which helps her teammates feel heard and valued. She helps create a standard for our team to act with integrity and respect."
Last season, when an ankle injury forced Putney to the sidelines for five games, she became the team's biggest cheerleader. Bennett explained, "She doesn't let her personal situation bring the team down. In those difficult moments, she has shown with her words and actions she cares more about how the team performs than when she would feel better again."
Putney's acts of kindness are genuine and come from the heart. When a teammate suffered a concussion, she offered to sit with her in a dark room so she would not be alone. When another was having a tough week with exams, Putney showed up with an encouraging card. Bennett shared, "Katie frequently checks in on each person on the team. She always volunteers her time to make you feel supported."
Off the court, Putney volunteers her time as well. In May, she traveled to Rwanda with the Eagles in Service and Courts for Kids project. While there, she and fellow students worked with community members to build a multipurpose sports court.
"Katie connects people and brings them together. She lifts people up." Bennett said. "If you could spend five minutes with her, you would understand instantly why she is deserving of this award!"
Patriot League Sportsmanship Award
For the latest on American University Volleyball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Volleyball), Facebook (/AU.Volleyball) and Instagram (@au_volleyball).
