INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – William & Mary women's soccer All-American Caroline Casey was named one of the record breaking 517 nominees for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.
 
Casey graduated with a degree in Kinesiology & Health Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Med. Casey has also won awards for her work in the classroom both through the school and in the Colonial Athletic Association. She won a Provost Award (3.5 GPA, or higher) in 2015, while also receiving induction in Chi Alpha Sigma, which is a National Athlete Honor Society for a junior or senior athlete with a 3.5 GPA, or higher. Casey has also garnered a pair of CAA Commissioner's Academic Awards, which is for a GPA of 3.2, or better, during the 2013 and 2014 season.

The Chesapeake, Virginia native is very involved with the community in different facets and in many different ways. She spends time giving back with the Tribe women's soccer team, her sorority, and on her own. Casey has spent time volunteering with the William & Mary Medical Relief Team that went to Nicaragua in the winter of 2014. During her two weeks in Nicaragua she was a part of a medical relief team that worked with an organization called International Service Learning. Casey and the group she was with were paired with translators and Nicaraguan doctors and participated in pharmacy and clinical rounds. In addition to the medical rounds, the group was put in charge a pair of cultural days where they setup games for the children, while also stressing the importance of brushing their teeth, wearing shoes, and washing their hands. Aside from the trip, Casey is very involved in the William & Mary and Williamsburg communities. She is a Branch Site Leader (an alternative spring break program), where they worked with Senior Connections to help people understand and see the absence of care many elderly experience at a physical, mental, and emotional level. She volunteers at Dream Catcher Therapeutic Riding Center, is a committee member with W&M Relay for Life, and was an Academic Ambassador for Freshman Athletes (2013). With her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, she has worked with the Camp Fire USA fundraiser, Girls on the Run Fundraiser, and volunteered at the local Williamsburg ARC (For adults with disabilities) Carnival.

She started every game of her Tribe career dating back to her freshman season and is one of the best goalkeepers in W&M history. She currently ranks second all-time with 301 career saves, while her 29 shutouts rank her third all-time. This season she owns a 0.88 goals-against-average, with 86 saves, and 11 shutouts. Casey was rewarded for her work on the field this season by being named to the NSCAA First-Team All-American,  All-CAA First-Team, CAA Defensive Player of the Year, and NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region First-Team. Previously, she was named Third-Team All-CAA (2014), First-Team All-CAA (2013), and Second Team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region (2013).  She owns a 48-18-12 career record with 29 shutouts. Following her collegaite career, she was drafted in the third round of the NWSL Draft by Sky Blue FC, and is on their active roster.
 
The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
 
This pool of school honorees marks the largest in the 26-year history of the award. Of the nominees for the national award, 231 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 169 competed in Division III athletics. The nominees also represent 21 different women's sports, and 127 of the nominees competed in more than one sport in college.
Next, conferences assess their member school nominees and select up to two conference nominees. The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.

From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 16 in Indianapolis.