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Feb. 26, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Former Marquette University women's volleyball student-athlete Jamie Mueller has been named the recipient of the 61st Annual Robert L. and William P. McCahill Award. Mueller received the award on Feb. 23 during a haltime presentation at the men's basketball game.

The award was established by the McCahill family in memory of Captain Robert L. McCahill, a 1942 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts and a student-athlete on the football team. Captain McCahill was drafted by the Cl­eveland Rams, and entered the Marine Corps, where he earned the Purple Heart and Bronze Star in recognition of his service to the United States during World War II. Captain McCahill gave his life for the country in the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima.

The honor is named dually for Captain Robert L. McCahill's brother, Marine Colonel William P. McCahill, a Marquette alumnus and MU Track and Field standout and captain during his years at the university. Colonel McCahill graduated with both Undergraduate and Masters Degrees in Journalism, and continued on as a noted historian. He also authored three books and served as the Executive Director of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped for 27 year.

After the passing of Colonel McCahill in 1999, Marquette officials voted to rename the award to recognize the lifetime achievements of both Captain Robert L. and Colonel William P. McCahill.

Mueller attended Marquette between 2003-2007 and graduated from the College of Business Administration in 2007. A native of Richfield, Wis., Mueller was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American at the conclusion of the 2006 season, a first-time honor for a Marquette volleyball player.

Mueller is also the only player to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. Her name has been recorded in the history books, setting unprecedented marks with digs in a season (517) and career digs (1,567). Mueller ended her career as one of the best volleyball players Marquette has ever produced and made a lasting impact on her coaches and teammates. The Robert L. and William P. McCahill Award recognizes a postgraduate student-athlete who has demonstrated achievement in athletics, scholarship and service to the University.

What were your thoughts when you first heard that you would be recognized as the McCahill Award recipient? I was extremely surprised and I actually second-guessed it when I was informed I would receive the McCahill Award. I was very happy and honored to be named the 2007 recipient of the award.

With the history of the award, how does it feel to join previous MU alumni that have received it? Very honored. I know it's a huge one and big footsteps to follow in and I only hope to do my best to represent the award and be able to help give back and to see others succeed as well.

How did you end up in Milwaukee and at Marquette University? It came down to a last-minute decision where I was looking at about four other schools that I had offers on the table from, and I realized I wanted to stay close to home. I narrowed it down to Wisconsin schools and then I realized that I really liked how Marquette was a small, family environment. I felt like I would be looked out for, I would have potential after volleyball for the future, and it just really seemed to fit my personality and what I was hoping to get out of college for the future.

How would you respond to those that call you one of Marquette's greatest volleyball players ever? ­I appreciate it, and would say thank you very much. However, I'm sure there are going to be some big people coming up behind me and that our program will continue to grow from here on.

You had your best season in your career as a senior. How did it feel to go out on such a good note? It definitely felt good to go out on top, leaving a footprint for others to follow in and for the chance for others to take the place of where I was.

Have you been able to stay involved with Golden Eagles volleyball to some extent? I usually try to go to most home matches during the season.

Is there any particular message that you hope you left behind on your former teammates and coaches? I hope I taught them to not let anybody think they couldn't do something, and to expect people to challenge them and to know they can overcome and accomplish something, even when it's unexpected.

Are there any lessons that you learned from your former teammates and coaches that have been instilled in you during and after Marquette? They've taught me to be a strong leader and to give it all you've got, at all times, especially because you never know who's watching. Most leaders lead by demonstration, and they have helped me realize and attend to this notion.

What are some of your favorite memories from Marquette? A lot of the most memorable recollections would be our team traveling as well as a lot of the out-of-the-scene volleyball practices. Many of my memories involve going out as a team, being stuck in airports, and the hotel stays. Those are a lot of the memories that really put us together.

Are you still involved in volleyball in any way? I play in a rec league and I help out at high schools with players.

What are you doing now? I currently work for Miller Brewing Company in the human resources department as a talent acquisition specialist.

What values have you taken from Marquette University and incorporate into your life now? I learned so much at Marquette. I learned to be an all-around solid person, to take everything you've learned and combine it into one solid spot, whether it be just going after what your dreams are, using all the examples from class and the experience that they've provided us with, being able to help out in the community. I think Marquette does an excellent job of tying you together as an all-around person, really strengthening me as a person, and whether it be in my job now, or within my group, I'm really able to give back and have examples to kind of bounce off of.