Arielle Wilson

Classroom

Arielle Wilson is set to graduate in May 2011 with a degree in nursing. Beyond pursuing volleyball, she plans to be an emergency room nurse. Wilson is an academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Character

Wilson is one of six seniors on the team in 2010. She played a major role in three straight NCAA national championships as a starting middle hitter and was an integral part of Penn State’s come-from-behind 3-2 win against Texas in the 2009 NCAA national championship match. Wilson leads by example. She expects herself to lead the team this year, which includes nine newcomers (all freshmen), as one of the most experienced players on the court. Wilson is a consistently positive person who doesn’t let mistakes or certain situations get her down. She prefers to work as a team rather than independently and her work ethic on the court carries over into her classroom efforts as she maintains a strong GPA in a tough major.

Community

Wilson volunteers with her former high school volleyball team, running a volleyball camp at her high school. She volunteers at the Penn State Dance MaraTHON, which raises money for the Four Diamonds Fund at Hershey Medical Center benefiting kids with cancer and she volunteers at the Special Olympics held at Penn State.

Competition

Wilson has been named a 2009 AVCA First Team All-American and 2008 AVCA Second Team All-American. She was a member of the 2009 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team and led the nation in 2009 with a record-breaking .540 hitting percentage. Her career .489 hitting percentage tops the Penn State charts. Wilson is a two-time First Team All-Big Ten member and a seven-time Big Ten Player of the Week, including three times in 2009. She was the 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection and the 2007 NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player. She trained with the U.S. National Team during the summer of 2010.