WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW softball alum Tayler Vitola has been named the school's nominee for the 34th annual NCAA Woman of the Year Award following an impactful career on the field and in the community.
Vitola is one of four nominees from Coastal Athletic Association member schools for the prestigious award designed to showcase the best of academics, athletics, service and leadership during a student-athlete's playing career.
Vitola flourished academically, athletically and in the community during her four years at UNCW. The Middletown, Del., native accumulated a 3.85 grade point average and was a member of the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll as well as the UNCW Dean's List in all eight semesters since enrolling for the 2020-21 academic year.
A two-time All-Region and All-CAA and an All-Rookie honoree in her four-year career, Vitola helped the Seahawks to a pair of CAA Championships and NCAA Regional berths in 2022 and 2024. She is one of four Seahawks in the program's 40-year fastpitch history to have over 200 career hits and the only player with more than 200 hits and 70 stolen bases.
Primarily the Seahawks' lead-off hitter and second baseman throughout her career, Vitola concluded her time in the Port City ranked in the program's all-time top 10 list in four major offensive categories: batting average, hits, runs and stolen bases.
The CAA selected Vitola as the conference's 2023-24 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year this past April.
In addition to her successful academic and athletic exploits, Vitola volunteered with the Cape Fear Optimist Club running softball camps for youth, helping unload Christmas trees and assisting with an annual car show. She has also been involved with cleanup projects at Wrightsville Beach.
Vitola was part of the UNCW Honors College and graduated with honors this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Biology along with a minor in Environmental Studies.
Vitola interned with the Environmental Alliance in the summer of 2023 where she wrote case studies and participated in sampling, drilling and marking land identified as not functional due to pollution from heavy industrial use with the intent to help remediate the sites to benefit the area they are discovered in.
She has also volunteered with the Cape Fear River Watch, helping clean up polluted areas. Vitola has developed a passion for environmental justice issues and is planning to earn her Juris Doctor in environmental law to ensure everyone is treated and impacted fairly in environmental disputes.
