SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Volleyball senior middle hitter Kelly Helfrich (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) was the recipient of William Paterson University's Outstanding Athlete Award at New Jersey's 18th-annual award luncheon in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The luncheon, which was held Feb. 7 at Seton Hall University, honored student-athletes at Garden State colleges and universities.

The 2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Year, Helfrich was a first-team all-conference selection each of her three seasons at William Paterson. She led the league this fall in kills (3.91 kps) and points (5.19 pps) while ranking third in blocks (0.96 bps) and fifth in hitting percentage (.326), and finished her three-year career with 1,055 kills, 854 digs and 299 blocks. A psychology major, Helfrich was named to the 2008-09 NJAC All-Academic Honorable Mention Team as well as the Spring 2008 Dean's List.

National Girls and Women in Sport Day (NGWSD) celebrates the athletic achievements of women and the positive well-being associated with sports participation, while also recognizing the continuing struggle for equality for women in sports. Chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986, NGWSD is honored in all 50 states.